The Mist I-A Son of Hecate
by Broder4545
Summary: Following the war against Gaia, Leo Valdez is missing, presumed dead. But when information reaches the two camps that he is alive and in danger from a manic demigod, they rush to the scene. But can they protect him? At what cost? Can the seven work together once again? COMPLETE! SEQUEL OUT
1. Chapter 1 (Leo)

**I**

 **LEO**

Leo had never felt more alive, a tad ironic considering the fact he had just come back from the dead. His arm still smarted where Festus had injected him with the physician's cure. He still smelled like burnt Princess of Potty-Sludge, and he still felt like he was being rearranged from inside, all his particles were exploding and reforming simultaneously. Yet he didn't mind any of it. You ask why, puny mortal? Well, Leo had finally got his girl. The one girl who'd finally loved him back. The one girl he'd thought he'd never see again.

"CALYPSOOOOOOO!" he shouted into the air. She laughed, a single, clear note that made Leo's heart melt, and gripped his waist tighter. He still couldn't believe himself. The wind roared past his ears, making his singed hair stand up. Festus was flying past, despite his injured leg; and soon Ogygia was just a small speck behind them in a vast, open sea.

Leo looked back and saw Calypso wipe a tear from her eye. "Hey, Cal, why you crying?" Leo shouted over the wind. She started, evidently embarrassed to have been seen crying. She pulled an angry face and said, "Leo Valdez, what I do is my own business!" Yet Leo knew she was joking, and her anger was as fake as his death had been. He whooped again and leaned back against Calypso, who rested her head on his shoulder.

Festus creaked and clacked excitedly. "What is it buddy?" Leo said, opening the access panel in Festus' neck. The astrolabe made by Odysseus, which Leo had used to locate Ogygia a second time, was nestled in its casing. The neon crystal had stopped pulsing, but still radiated a glow. The astrolabe was off, a clear sign they had left Ogygia far behind. Leo cracked a smile, and shouted back to Calypso; "WE'RE CLEAR, BABY!" She smiled, evidently happy to be off her island prison, but at the same time Leo detected some sadness.

She'd lived on that island for over three millennia, and no matter what; it had been her home. She'd met great heroes there, like Odysseus and Percy Jackson; and fallen in love with all. Now she was leaving it with a runty Latino flying a bronze dragon. Such situations did tend to create confusion about one's feelings; especially when soaring into the unknown.

Leo hoped he could say something, do something to help her. Unfortunately, he wasn't great at fixing organic life-forms. Festus creaked again, but less excitedly. Leo saw that the fused neck plating was steaming, hurting Festus. He whipped out the necessary tools from his tool belt and set to work.

Once he'd fixed the problem, he began to feel sleepy. "Calypso?" He yawned. She squeezed his waist in acknowledgement. "I gotta sleep." he murmured and she squeezed his waist again. Leo felt like punching himself. Here he was, flying in the middle of nowhere with a super-hot immortal Titan, and all he could think about was sleep. But he couldn't help himself, and soon he was dozing off, his head resting on Festus' neck.

Leo had hoped all the good he'd done would tell the gods that he didn't want any more nightmares. Unluckily, they just kept coming. He again stood in front of his mother's workshop; while Gaia stood before him, her robes swirling and her eyes closed in a peaceful smile. The workshop was burning, and little Leo was crying as he tried fruitlessly to save his mother. Gaia opened her mouth to speak, but what came out wasn't what Leo remembered.

"Leo Valdez?" spoke a manly voice. "Are you sure he's in danger?" Leo recognised the voice as Chiron's, the centaur from Camp Half-Blood. "Yes, Chiron." Spoke a different voice. A voice that Leo felt afraid of, but it sounded full of concern for him. "Is he even alive, Nico?" Chiron asked and Leo realised di Angelo was the other voice. "Yes! And I don't know what to do. Should I tell Jason, only for him to be too late to save him?" Nico pleaded. "He'd hate me, for not having told him earlier. I sensed something strange with Leo's death, but I didn't know he'd be alive!"

Chiron seemed to be musing, his "hmmm's" coming out of Gaia's open mouth. "Even if we told Jason, he wouldn't be able to get to Texas in time." "What if we told..." "LEEEEOOOOOOO!"

Leo woke up with a start, realising Calypso had been shouting his name. He shook his head violently and saw a city rushing up to meet them.


	2. Chapter 2 (Jason)

**II**

 **JASON**

Jason wandered through Camp Half-Blood, looking around. The area had a sense of both happiness and loss. Happiness for the triumph over Gaia, loss for all the death she had incurred. The Romans had left a day ago, and Jason had already started missing Hazel and Frank, who'd gone with them. Percy and Annabeth had left two hours after the Romans, making a sudden decision to attend college there.

As Jason walked through the camp, he looked around and admired his work. Dozens of new cabins were being built, amongst them Kymopoleia's. Jason had pushed for hers to be first, her promise to kill him if he failed hitting a little too close to home after surviving two huge battles in the space of a day.

 _BAAM!_ Jason collapsed onto the ground, feeling as if he'd been hit by a truck. He heard swearing and grabbed at the person whom he'd collided with. "Le-go!" someone grunted and Jason rolled them off him. As he got up in a defensive stance. He realised it was Nico. Relaxing himself, he said; "Nico! Hey, you okay, man?" "I'm- I'm fine." Nico stammered. He had an angry welt on his forehead. Had Jason really hit him that hard? Brushing himself off, he stumbled off to the Big House, mumbling; "Chiron- I don't believe it- How can it be?"

Jason had always worried for the guy after the 'Cupid incident', but now he had a strange sense of foreboding. The way Nico had looked around him, he looked as if he'd seen a ghost; which he probably had. But ghosts, even _lemures_ , had no great effect on Nico, so Jason wondered what had scared him so much.

For the second time that day, something barrelled into Jason. But this one was softer, sweeter-smelling. "Hey, Pipes!" Jason exclaimed, the wind rushing out of him. "Jason! I haven't seen you since yesterday!" Piper shouted. "Yeah well, obviously dummy, I just woke up!" he laughed. She looked around at the new cabins and felt a surge of pride for her boyfriend. "I never believed you'd actually do all you said for the minor gods."

Jason ran a hand through his hair, trying to look modest, but Piper knew how proud he was of himself. "I just wanted to reduce the chances of another god getting angry at us and declaring war or something. You gotta admit, you feel sorry for them, it's not their fault that they're minor gods." Piper nodded, she understood what Jason was saying.

"JASON!" he heard someone shout. Looking away from Piper, he saw Nyssa, one of the Hephaestus kids, running towards him with a huge smile on her face. She held something in her hand which was covered with a cloth. Upon reaching Jason, she said "So, the thing you wanted? It's here!" Piper raised her eyebrows, wondering what weird things her boyfriend was asking the Hephaestus kids to cook up. Nyssa whirled the cloth off the thing and out emerged...

"Kymopoleia? Wow, thanks Nyssa. He heard a _POOF!_ behind himself and turned around. He saw a much larger version of the female in the action figure standing in front of him.

She let out a squeak of delight and her hands flew to her mouth.

"Jason Grace", she breathed, "You have impressed me.


	3. Chapter 3 (Piper)

**III**

 **PIPER**

Piper knew names had power. She didn't know they caused the owner to appear in a whirlwind of water, rocks and seaweed.

"Let me guess", the goddess went on; "Jason Grace isn't one of those demigods who lies. Unlike my insolent demigod brother. God, he's annoying. I mean _who_ charges straight into a wall of poison? And as for his promise about having all the unrecognized gods and goddesses recognized… ARGH! I could just strangle him."

Kymopoleia proceeded to strangle an invisible force in front of her. Piper didn't like the way she did it. She didn't only put her hands around an imaginary throat, she twisted her hands, her jellyfish hair streaked towards the area where the unfortunate victim's head should have been and her eyes burned with hatred.

But her face soon returned to its 'regular' features. She looked hungrily at the action figure. Her hand reached out to it, her thin white fingers curled in a manner that very clearly stated, 'GIMME!' Jason reluctantly handed over the figure. It disappeared into Kymopoleia's hand faster than Leo could get his hands around an Archimedes sphere.

Leo, oh gods. Piper missed him. He had always been there, the backbone of the team, the joker. He had an unnerving ability to make an awkward situation less awkward yet more awkward at the same time. She wished he was still here. She wished she could do her charm speak on the Fates and force them to give Leo back to them.

Kymopoleia was carefully inspecting the toy. She turned it over in her hands. She looked at every edge of it as if it was a priceless diamond. She ran her fingers all over it. Piper marvelled at how vain she was. An action figure of her and she was acting like as if it were of her favourite idol.

Kymopoleia, having completed her inspection, looked up and announced, "First-class Jason Grace. I want 200 ready within the hour."

Jason spluttered, a sentiment that Piper shared. Fortunately, Nyssa came to the rescue. "200! Are you freakin' out of your mind lady? Do you know how long it took us to make just one? And you want 200?"

Kymopoleia looked mildly amused. "It's just a figure." she said, "I'm sure you can do it that fast. It's not like it does anything."

This time, Nyssa spluttered. She recovered soon and mumbled, "Just-just a figure?" Anger clouded her face. Marching up to Kymopoleia, she snatched the toy out of her hand and walked over to the lake. "Uh-oh" Piper mouthed to Jason, as she, him and Kymopoleia followed the fuming Nyssa.

Reaching the lake, Nyssa turned around. "Now, your Highness", she said, deliberately drawing out the last word. "If you'd care to look." Kymopoleia nodded and Nyssa spun the disc the action figure Kymopoleia was holding. Having done so, she tossed it into the lake.

Now Kymopoleia spluttered. Piper tried not to laugh as Kymopoleia's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish at the unfairness of it all. "You'll pay for th-" she began saying, but before she could complete her threat, a plume of water rose five feet off the surface of the lake; causing violent ripples. The action figure Kymopoleia stood in the middle of the plume, rotating wildly. The real one clasped her mouth and blushed, as if she was the one who was doing it.

Nyssa let the mini-storm continue for a few seconds, then reached out and plucked the tiny Kymopoleia from the plume, handing her to the bigger one. As soon as the toy was removed, the plume fell and the lake returned to normal.

"My, my. I must say I'm impressed." she said. "I'll settle for 50 within the hour instead." she said and disappeared in a flurry of water, rocks and seaweed.

"Who does she think she is. Some kind of goddess?" Nyssa said. "Looks like it" Jason said, "And you'd better start making some more if you don't wanna be turned into some kind of water creature." Nyssa groaned and walked off toward Bunker Nine, where the other Hephaestus kids were busy making things.

Piper linked her arm through Jason's and they started walking through the camp. She saw Chiron gallop out of the Big House , followed by Nico. She waved at them, but they didn't respond. Jason saw her confusion and said, "Nico seemed shaken in the morning today. I hope nothing's happened to Hazel." Piper nodded. Hazel seemed to be the only one Nico cared about, and she could understand that he'd be worried if she was in danger. Unfortunately, she cared about Hazel too, and her former appetite for breakfast was diminished as she hoped everything was fine.


	4. Chapter 4 (Frank)

**IV**

 **FRANK**

Frank reclined his seat, sighing as he stretched his legs. Behind him sat Hazel and Annabeth, Hazel describing New Rome to Annabeth. Percy was driving, his sea-green eyes focused on the road ahead. Percy and Annabeth had reached the temporary Roman Camp two hours after them, and Hazel and Frank had volunteered to stay with them. Now the rest of Camp Jupiter was two hours drive ahead, but Frank, Percy, Hazel and Annabeth were driving behind, making their way to New Rome. They had just entered Dallas, following the highway to San Francisco.

There was a phone-like device attached to the windscreen. It displayed their position, destination and their speed. It also doubled as a communication device linked to Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter. It was to be used in times of emergency, though friendly calls could be made. Currently, they were 1 day away from Camp Jupiter, despite Percy driving recklessly. Frank wondered if Percy had even taken a driver's test, let alone passed it. As they raced over a ditch at breakneck speed, Frank decided Percy hadn't.

Behind him, Hazel and Annabeth were strapped in securely, holding the handlebars in order to not go flying across the car. Hazel suffered from sea-sickness, and had popped a few tablets in her mouth as Percy's driving wasn't much better. Yet, he was the only one who could drive.

"So, guys. Is my driving really bad?" Percy asked. Hazel was keeping her mouth shut as much as possible and so refrained from answering. "Not really, man. It just needs some practice." Frank said. However, Annabeth was in no joking mood. "PERCY! SLOW DOWN OR I'LL PERSONALLY THROW YOU INTO TARTARUS AGAIN!" Frank reckoned that was enough for Percy to realise his mistake and he immediately slowed down, till they were just crawling along the highway, even motorists overtaking them.

Hazel began talking again and Frank closed his eyes, ready for a nap. "Somebody call Jason, is his dad causing that?" Percy exclaimed. Frank opened his eyes to see a tornado forming far off to the left. However, the winds were fast enough even here and enough to send Hazel green again.

Annabeth sensed Hazel's predicament and said to Percy. "We need to stop for the day. I saw a sign for a motel a few miles back" "There!" Percy shouted and turned the car across two lanes and into an exit, provoking more than a few horns and swears. He turned off the highway and into the motel road, Hazel greener than a tree now. Percy stopped the car in the parking lot, filled with other cars who's owners had also decided to stop for the day. As Hazel and Annabeth tumbled out of the car, glad to be out of it; Frank barely suppressed the urge to vomit. The last few seconds of Percy's driving had left him nauseous. Unfortunately, Hazel was hit harder than him and vomited into a bush, while Annabeth stroked her back and glared at Percy.

Oblivious to the toll his driving had taken on the others, Percy opened the device and checked where the rest of the convoy was. They were still on the move, they had passed the tornado. "Guess we'll only see them tomorrow." he said to Frank. Frank nodded, not trusting himself to open his mouth and got out of the car. Percy jumped out and walked over to the reception, flashing his best demigod smile at the cute receptionist and asking for two rooms.

"Oye, Frank? Got any dollars?" he shouted over. Frank immediately looked up in panic. If the receptionist had heard him...

Luckily, Percy realised his mistake and returned to the receptionist, beaming his smile. "We're tourists." Frank heard him say. The receptionist smiled back, and soon the four of them were entering their rooms, the girls in one, the boys in the other.

The wind was howling against their windows with all its might, making it hard for Frank to sleep. Percy had asked him if he'd wanted a swim, which Frank had refused. Now Percy was in the pool downstairs, Frank was lying down, and the girls were in the adjacent room.

Just as Frank finally thought he'd be able to doze off; he heard a bloodcurdling scream from Hazel's room.


	5. Chapter 5 (Nico)

**V**

 **NICO**

Nico was scared, a rare occurrence for a son of Hades. His dreams had been no better than before, possibly amplified by the toll the shadow-travelling had taken on him. He was healing, but slowly. But what he had least expected, even amidst his nightmares; was a visit from his father.

He had turned in early the previous night, after popping a few sleeping pills into his mouth. He had no interest in the camp activities and sing-along that took place every night. The Hades cabin was deserted, as Hazel had left a day ago. He curled up in his bunk, feeling more alone than he had in some time.

As he had drifted into sleep, he'd had a sudden sense of foreboding about the times to come. The first nightmare he had was about shadow-travel. _He, Reyna and Coach Hedge were in Pompeii, surrounded by hostile wolves, and Nico couldn't find the strength to travel. As he pushed himself to the limit, Lyacon, the wolf-king leapt at him and tore a chunk off his arm. Nico felt himself dissolve into the shadows, and the three of them, plus the Athena Parthenos; were no more._

The second nightmare was probably worse. As he replayed Octavian's death in his mind over and over again, he heard a deep but cold voice behind him, "Don't blame yourself, my son. You could not have done anything. The _augur_ was destined to die today." Nico whirled around and saw Hades standing behind him, his feet ringed by skeletal hands struggling to escape the ground. He held out his arm and Nico gingerly took it.

In a whirl, Nico and Hades were transported to- Starbucks? "Pick a coffee." Hades said. Nico wondered whether this was a joke or a test. "I don't drink coffee." he replied. "A milkshake, then." Hades suggested. Nico was still confused. Was his father testing him or was he actually trying to be nice. When Nico didn't say anything; Hades sighed, "Suit yourself." he said and held out his arm. Nico took it and they whirled off again.

This time they landed in a small warehouse. 4 men in lab coats were crowding around a single table, working on a meteorite the size of Nico. It glowed a familiar hue and Nico realised that it was Celestial Bronze. One of the men took a power drill and started hacking at the meteorite whilst the others stood back. Shards of Celestial Bronze flew outwards, some nearly impaling Nico. He wondered if they would affect him in his dream.

"Enough." said a deep commanding voice from a corner of the room. Nico whirled around in shock; he hadn't seen the man before when he first got here. The man walked across the room and stopped before the table. The men in lab coats had retreated to a respectful distance.

The man, evidently the leader; picked up a piece of Celestial Bronze the size of his hand. "This one," he said "cut it in a square. Each side 4 cm. I need it for that kid." The man's followers quickly came back to the table and started the work the man had said. "Drake!" the man barked. One of the lab-coated men came running to the man. "Attach the chips on it, once they're done." The man in the lab coat, Drake, nodded and walked back to the table.

"Why are you showing me this, father?" Nico asked, the word 'father' coming difficult to his mouth. "He's a son of Hecate." Hades replied. "Drake?" Nico asked. Hades shook his head. "Gaius"

"Riiiight." Nico replied, still confused. "And he is?" "Trying to bring our world crashing down." Hades said without emotion, sounding almost as if he were announcing the weather. That got Nico's attention. "With a small square of Celestial Bronze?" he asked. Hades smirked, but without mirth. "Your friend, Valdez."

Nico felt his head spinning and saw the world elongating around him. He felt himself falling and Hades reached out a hand to help him...


	6. Chapter 6 (Leo)

**VI**

 **LEO**

Leo shouted, though he was afraid it sounded more like a girlish shriek. He pulled hard on Festus' neck. Festus creaked and groaned but slowly started pulling up. A huge obelisk loomed out of the city towards them.

"SAN JACINTO!" Leo screamed. "WHAT?" Calypso shouted back. Festus roared in defiance and veered left to avoid the pillar. His feet missed it with just inches to spare. He tried correcting but his injured leg made stabilising difficult.

Leo massaged Festus' neck. "C'mon buddy, you can do it." he grunted through gritted teeth. Festus clacked and flapped his wings but their speed was too high. He aimed at a small cluster of huts and warehouses that seemed abandoned. Too late, Leo realised what they were. "FESTUS, NOO!" he shouted, but to no avail.

Festus crashed into the warehouse, his bronze plating shielding Leo and Calypso behind him. The warehouse, brittle due to all the years it had remained unused; broke like tissue paper in front of Festus. Pipes broke overhead, and Leo tried to shield Calypso as best he could. He felt a sheet of metal cut his face and winced in pain. Festus landed with a shuddering crash, sending Leo and Calypso flying off. Leo landed face first on a table, Calypso landing on his back and knocking the wind out of him.

Leo felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. Festus groaned, his ruby eyes flickering. Calypso was motionless on his back, but he could feel her breath on his neck. Not exactly his idea of a perfect date.

Leo remembered this place, the last time he'd been here. Please, dear gods; not here. Not here...


	7. Chapter 7 (Nico)

**VII**

 **NICO**

"NO! NO!" Nico shouted, pulling himself out of the bunk. Leo Valdez? Could Hades be joking? Could Nico be imagining all that? No, the dream had felt too real. "I need to get back!" he shouted again. He ran across the cabin, looking for his sleeping pills. The bottle was empty.

He could go to the camp dispensary, but it was late at night. The harpies would eat him alive. 'NOOOOO!' he shouted internally. He looked up and saw the stone wall. He grimaced. But, desperate time, desperate measures...

Nico entered his dream again, Hades helping him up off the floor. His hands felt almost tender, a genuine look of concern over his generally passive face. "My, I must say, you are a strange boy." he said, a hint of mirth in his voice. Nico groaned and put his hand to his head, wincing at the angry lump that was forming on his head.

"I kinda regret it now." he groaned. "Running straight into a wall just to go to sleep? Is your head okay?" Hades asked. Nico nodded, remembering how hard the wall had felt when he had run into it. At least he knew he wasn't turning into shadow anymore.

They both turned back to the scene. "As I was saying, Nico," Hades continued. "Your friend, Valdez. I looked out especially for him at the gates of my domain. He was not there."

Nico's head reeled again, but he kept himself from falling and waking up. "You mean he's- he's..."

"Alive?" Hades suggested. "Very much so. But he's in danger. A lot of danger." Nico started thinking. Why had his father brought him here, of all places; if they were talking about Leo? What did Gaius have to do with this? The Celestial Bronze? The 'chips'?

It hit Nico just as hard as the stone wall had hit him. "Gaius is going to attack Leo. With those Celestial Bronze chips." he said, finally. Hades nodded, "Yes." "But, how could he know Leo would survive? Even I didn't know till 5 minutes ago." Nico exclaimed.

"Hecate, his mother, is the goddess of crossroads. His father's intellect enhanced this power and he is now able to predict the most likely outcome. My guess is that Gaius knew Leo would choose this path, and so had planned this from before." Hades finished gravely.

"But how do you know they're targeting Leo?" Nico asked, grasping at straws. Hades pointed to a table. Nico walked over to it and saw a picture of a scrawny Latino teen with curly black hair staring out at him. Leo. On the top corner of the picture, a note was scribbled. "6th August. 13:00." Beneath that, co-ordinates were written. Nico looked at the mounted wall-clock on his right. It read 1:07. "But, but. That's today!" Nico shouted. Hades nodded gravely behind him.

Nico whirled around. "How do I wake up?" he asked his father. "You can return to the world right after I give you this information." Hades replied. "One of the seven will die, and I'm not sure I'll be able to stop it."


	8. Chapter 8 (Annabeth)

**VIII**

 **ANNABETH**

Annabeth had almost vomited after Percy had parked the car at the motel. Luckily, she'd been able to hold it in, but Hazel wasn't so lucky. As her friend vomited in a bush, Annabeth glared at Percy. He didn't notice.

Soon, they were sitting in their room, Hazel recovering. They'd begun chatting about Camp Jupiter, and what classes Annabeth could take in architecture. They munched on sandwiches as they talked.

Suddenly, Hazel let out a huge scream. She fell off the bed and onto the floor, writhing as she fell. Annabeth got up and ran over to Hazel's side. Hazel lashed out and her kick caught Annabeth on the temple, stunning her; hard. Annabeth heard the door crash open. Frank rushed in, holding his bow at the ready.

He gave Annabeth a confused look. Then he saw Hazel. "Oh, gods." he cried out. He ran over to Hazel's side, unfazed by her kicks. She kicked him in the stomach, forcing the wind out of him. He grunted and held her legs down. Hazel shrieked again and started punching him. "Help me!" Frank cried in desperation. Annabeth shook her head, clearing it from the kick she had received and jumped on Hazel's arm. Grabbing the other one, she subdued both of Hazel's hands until she lay spread-eagled on the floor; Frank holding her legs, Annabeth holding her arms.

She continued shrieking, tears streaming down her face. The door crashed open again. Annabeth saw Percy, naked except for his swimming-trunks, standing in the doorway, holding Riptide. "What's happening!" he shouted, struggling into a shirt.

"HELP, YOU DIMWIT!" Annabeth shouted at him. Percy seemed shaken but ran over to them, dropping his sword. "TAKE HER ARMS!" Annabeth shouted at him. Percy stared at her, confused at the weird order. Hazel shrieked again and Frank shouted, "JUST DO IT, MAN!"

Percy grabbed Hazel's arms, leaving Annabeth free to do what she needed to. Grabbing some nectar from her backpack, she poured a small amount into Hazel's mouth. She popped open a pack of ambrosia and placed it in Hazel's mouth.

Hazel went silent. "Oh, gods; no." Annabeth muttered. Suddenly, smoke started billowing out of her mouth, a few thin wisps. She started shuddering, her entire body vibrating. A few jewels began popping out around her, covering her in an outline.

Percy looked at the jewels in apprehension, "Umm, guys, aren't these like, you know; cursed?" he asked. Suddenly, a huge wave of jewels surfaced, knocking the three of them backwards and covering Hazel.

As they recovered, Frank groped wildly at where Hazel's face had been, trying to uncover it. He pushed the jewels out of the way. "PULL HER OUT!" he shouted at Percy. He didn't argue and grabbed Hazel's hands and yanked her out of the sea of cursed jewels.

"OUCH!" Percy shouted and let go of Hazel, clutching his hands as if they were burned. He looked at Annabeth in shock, "Annabeth; doesn't too much nectar make demigods catch fire?"

As if to prove his point, a column of smoke rushed out of Hazel's mouth and nostrils, filling the room with the smell of charred flesh. Then all was still, silent.

Annabeth clasped her hands to her mouth. How could she have been so stupid? She looked at the bottle of nectar in her hands and saw it was half-empty. She'd poured half a bottle of nectar down Hazel's throat without knowing what the problem was.

Her vision clouded with tears as she looked at Frank staring blankly at Hazel's unmoving form. She stifled a sob when she saw a tear run down the side of his face. Percy walked over to Frank, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Frank. Frank! Look at me!" he said his voice soft but urgent.

Annabeth sank to her knees as the harsh reality of what she had done dawned on her. Frank looked at Annabeth with such a look of pure loathing that she had never thought he was capable of. Frank stood up, shaking Percy's hand off.

"Come outside, Frank. Take a breath of fresh air." Percy said calmly. Annabeth was vaguely aware of Frank turning to look at Percy. "Don't try and stop me, Jackson." he growled. Percy's eyes narrowed; "What do you me-" he began saying, before Frank grabbed him and swung him halfway across the room. Annabeth heard a sickening crack as Percy landed on a table.

She gasped and tried to back further into the wall. Percy wasn't moving. Blood ran down his face, forming little rivulets as it moved downwards. "Percy." she whispered frantically as Frank turned to face her, his eyes dancing dangerously. For the first time, Annabeth realised how dangerous Frank could be. For the first time, she felt actual fear.

Frank walked over to her, the glare never leaving his eyes. "Frank. Frank, please." she cried out as he stepped over Hazel's unconscious form and reached her. She looked up at him, towering high above her, and knew he would show no remorse.

He bent down and grabbed her neck with a grip like iron. He raised her to her feet, choking the breath out of her. "Frank. Please." she managed to gasp. He tightened his grip. "You witch!" he spoke through gritted teeth. Annabeth clawed at her neck to try and loosen his grip. He was unmoved. She silently pleaded with her eyes, but he paid no heed.

Annabeth felt her life flash before her eyes as her oxygen dwindled. Was this how she would die? Strangled by a friend after having survived two wars and Tartarus?

Frank tightened his grip even further. Annabeth's eyes rolled up in her head and she fell to the floor, her eyelids fluttering and then closing.


	9. Chapter 9 (Hazel)

**IX**

 **HAZEL**

Hazel felt as if she lost all control over her body. As she slid to the floor, letting out a bloodcurdling scream, she marvelled at her own lung capacity. Her legs and arms struck out, hurting her as much as they hurt poor Annabeth, who took a kick to the head and fell back, stunned.

Soon, Frank rushed to her. She tried to stop herself; but it was almost like as if she was possessed by an _eidolon_. She kicked him in the stomach, then punched him when he held down her legs. Annabeth pinned down her arm. She screamed internally, as she tried to fight this force that was taking over her.

Then, Percy rushed in, struggling into a shirt. He seemed confused when Annabeth told him to take her arms but did it when Frank shouted at him. She saw Annabeth pouring nectar down her throat, and all went black; a searing pain in Hazel's chest.

She woke up in a large room that looked like a workshop. Inside, it was dark but something was radiating a glow, like Celestial Bronze. She pushed away the sheet in front of her and saw-Festus? She had only seen him once before in this form, back when Leo had 'kidnapped' Gaia from the battlefield. She saw two motionless figures on a table in front of Festus. One hunched over the other.

She walked over to Festus, careful to avoid the wreckage that had been strewn over the floor, probably when he crashed through the roof. She walked around him to get to the two people, suspense filling her. As she reached them, she saw that it was a boy and a girl. The girl lay face-first on the boy's back. She was beautiful, despite the large scratch running across her face. She wore jeans and a plain white T-shirt. Hazel tried to pull her off the boy, whom she was sure was Leo but her hands passed through the girl. Reeling back, she realised she was in a dream and could not touch anyone.

She lay down on the table, manoeuvring herself as to be able to see the boy's face. Her chest still ached, but she forced herself further down to see the boy. He had curly black hair, much of which was singed. He had Latino features. Hazel choked back a sob. Bruises were forming on his face and blood caked his forehead. But she had recognised him. Leo.

She realised just how much like his great-grandfather he looked. Her first heartthrob, Sammy Valdez. She felt like crying, though out of pain or happiness she didn't know. Leo hadn't died in the fireball as he had made everyone believe. But he could be dead now.

She noticed him moving a bit, his chest heaving. She released a breath she didn't know she'd been holding and cradled his face in her shadowy hands. "I will find you, Leo Valdez. And when I do, you'll wish you hadn't tricked me." she spoke aloud, though she was sure Leo couldn't have heard her.

She walked out of the warehouse, hoping to find some clue as to where it was. She reached the door but found it burned and charred, the locks permanently shut. She closed her eyes and drifted through the door. Well, she guessed, there were certain perks to being a ghost. She glided across the ground, until she reached a signboard. 'San Jacinto County', it read. So Leo was in Texas.

Suddenly, the world around her shifted. She felt nauseous and collapsed to her knees. She felt herself returning to her body, a faint voice saying "Stop him, Hazel. You have to stop him." "Dad?" Hazel whispered, recognising Pluto's voice.

All of a sudden, she was back in the motel room, lying on the floor. Hundreds of precious stones lay around her, covering the carpet. A strange smell clung to her throat and nose, like burning flesh. She turned her head weakly and saw- _Oh gods!_ Frank was grabbing Annabeth by the neck, pulling her up off the floor. She clawed at his hands and pleaded with him, but he turned a deaf ear. Hazel turned her head and saw Percy lying across the wooden table, blood covering his face. She groaned. Why did everyone have to be lying on a table with bloody faces?!

"Stop him, Hazel!" the faint voice spoke again. She turned back to Frank. Annabeth's lips were turning blue, her movements less strong now. She flailed weakly in Frank's iron grip. "Frank!" Hazel tried to shout, but what came out was a whimper, barely audible. She still wasn't strong enough. "Frank, please." Annabeth whispered but Frank continued choking her.

Hazel pushed herself off the floor, her weak muscles straining. But it was too late, Annabeth went limp and fell out of Frank's grip, her eyes fluttering and then closing; her entire face blue. "No." Hazel whimpered. Frank turned around. His look of loathing was gone, replaced by a look of shock at seeing Hazel.

"Ha- Hazel?" he said weakly. She felt like shouting at him, hitting him; but could not even move. She felt herself falling and Frank rushed to catch her.


	10. Chapter 10 (Frank)

**X**

 **FRANK**

Frank hadn't realised what had been happening since Hazel had been pulled out of the jewels and blew smoke. He remembered fragments but he wasn't sure he wanted to believe them. He vaguely remembered throwing something across the room and then choking someone. _No,_ he said to himself, _I can't do messed-up stuff like that._

Then Hazel had come to. She had a look of shock and fear on her face, almost as if she were afraid of him. _That can't be possible,_ he thought. She suddenly fell to the floor and Frank rushed to her. He caught her before she hit the ground and lifted her up. He placed her gingerly on the bed, handling her as one might a newborn. He tucked a pillow under her head and looked around the room.

Then he saw what he had done. Percy lay across a table, his face covered in rivers of blood. He was breathing, but motionless otherwise. The memories suddenly came back to Frank. Percy had been the 'thing' he'd thrown across the room. That meant- _Oh, gods. Annabeth._

He turned around, dreading what he'd see. A few feet away from the bed, Annabeth lay curled up. Her face was blue, and her neck had harsh red marks around it. She wasn't breathing.

He knelt down next to her, nearly falling to his knee. "No, no, no, no, NO!" he cried out. He held his hand in his heads, shaking it wildly. _Control yourself, Frank,_ he told himself. _Think about this rationally._ But what was rational about this? He'd just strangled his friend, probably to death. _NO! Don't think like that,_ he cursed himself.

He took her hand in his oversized hands and checked her pulse. It was barely noticeable. He sighed with relief but bile crept up his throat when he realised it was getting slower. "Annabeth?" he whispered, "I'm sorry. Please come back." he was a child again; whimpering over a lost thing. No, he wouldn't lose her.

He pulled her up, hoisting her head above the rest of her body. He grimaced as he realised what he was going to do. Opening her mouth and pinching her nose, he tilted her head backwards. He opened his own mouth, and leaned in; joining their mouths. He breathed air into her lungs, then removed his mouth. She didn't move.

Frank lost count of how many times he had to do it. Five? Six? On the last try, he felt her pulse increase. He laughed out loud and leaned in again for one last breath...

He heard a noise like a sword being drawn. Too late, he tried to turn around. A hard object hit Frank on the back of his skull with a loud _THUNK!_ He fell over, dropping Annabeth like a sack. He hit his head on the floor and saw stars dancing around him. Percy stood over him, holding Riptide in his hand. There was blood on the pommel, with which Percy had hit him. He had a look of absolute rage on his face and breathed raggedly. The blood covering his face made him look even scarier, though Frank knew he was dead anyway.

"You... slimy..." he snarled, "I thought I could trust you, Zhang." "Percy..." Frank started weakly but Percy cut him short; "Don't even think about opening that snakelike mouth of yours, Zhang. You should feel lucky I don't thrust my sword down it." Frank decided to stay quiet.

Keeping his sword and his even sharper glare on Frank, Percy bent down and grabbed Annabeth. He pulled her up in one arm and hoisted her over his shoulder like a sack. When he saw the marks on her neck, his eyes filled with a new rage and Frank felt that his end was near. Luckily, Percy restrained himself and stormed out of the room, leaving a dazed Frank and an unconscious Hazel alone.


	11. Chapter 11 (Nico)

**XI**

 **NICO**

Nico rushed out of the Hades Cabin. Massaging his forehead to soothe the pain from hitting the wall, he stumbled across the cabin area, crossing a corner and –BAM! He felt himself falling backwards as a force struck him and he landed on the grass. Groaning, he pulled himself up and saw Jason, ready in a defensive stance.

"Nico! Hey, you okay, man?" he said, shaking his head. "I'm- I'm fine." Nico stammered. As Jason walked off, Nico continued on his way to the Big House and to see Chiron.

Chiron was sitting in his wheelchair watching a nature show on Discovery Channel and feeding Snausages to Seymour, the leopard head. As Nico rushed in, he wheeled around and greeted Nico with a look of surprise. "Nico." he said, "To what do I owe the pleasure, young man?"

"Chiron." Nico said, a bit unnecessarily. "I had a dream." "Oh," Chiron said, unsurprised. "And?"

"Leo." Nico croaked. "Leo Valdez is alive." Chiron's face went pale. He seemed to have aged a century more. "I- I see." he spoke after an eternity. "How do you know this, Nico?"

"Fath- I mean, Hades showed me." Nico replied. Chiron nodded his head understandingly. "I- I see. Well, Nico, you must understand this is a bit too much to process. Well, where is he?" "I don't know, but he's in danger." Nico replied. "Danger?" Chiron asked, confused. "What sort of danger?"

"Mortal danger." Nico croaked. "Some demigod named Gaius." As soon as Nico said the name, Chiron went paler still. "You- you know him?" Nico asked. "Son of Hecate?" Chiron croaked. "Y-yes." Nico replied, stunned. "But how?" Chiron said, almost pleading.

Nico didn't understand what Chiron was so afraid of. After all, he'd just survived a war against Gaia, the Earth Goddess. "Oh, Olympus." Chiron whimpered. A bead of sweat ran down his face. "Gaius Chase is probably the most dangerous and evil demigod alive."

"Gaius Chase? Wait, you don't mean..." Nico trailed off. "Yes, Nico. I'm afraid so. Gaius is Annabeth's half-brother." Chiron spoke, his voice bitter. Nico reeled. What? Annabeth's half-brother? That meant, her father had fallen in love with two goddesses?

"Gaius was born 4 years before Annabeth. Her father had fallen in love with Hecate and she bore him a son. She soon left him, however. Her tricks with the Mist had sent him nearly mad. Athena, Annabeth's mother; then came. She soothed his mind and soon; they fell in love." Chiron finished. Nico nodded, understanding. Mortals who fell in love with Hecate often went mad afterwards.

"Why's he so dangerous?" Nico asked. "Why does he want to harm Leo?" "My child," Chiron spoke gravely. "Your friend, Valdez is just a pawn in a game of Gaius' that aims to bring down our entire world." Nico groaned. "How?"

Chiron inhaled deeply before continuing. "My child, Gaius has long known that if mortals were to become aware of our existence, they would become hostile. Their concepts of reality and their religions would come into question; and they would have only one choice- attack. Gaius has long resented the gods and other demigods, but unlike most; he was gifted enough to exploit this hate. You see, he is most skilled at manipulating the Mist, even more than your sister. He has been able to identify tears in the Mist and widen them in order to show humans the real world, with monsters and demigods and everything."

Nico nodded. Not too long ago, he too had resented Olympus for his misfortunes. "Go on." he said to Chiron. Chiron sighed; "Well, he knew Olympus would prevail against the mortals unless, it was divided from within. He had the perfect opportunity when Gaia rose; but he was not yet ready. He lacks mind-control powers and was looking for a way to make them. My guess is that he has perfected the way and is now going to use Valdez to spread panic and divide our world."

Nico almost laughed. Mind-control? You've been watching too much TV, Chiron. But then, the small Celestial Bronze squares and the chips...

"Chiron, say he has perfected this way." Nico said. "But why Leo?" Chiron sighed again. "Leo is the hero of our world. He single-handedly took Gaia on and defeated her. If he were to be seen on Gaius' side, many would join him. Also, Gaius needed one of the seven with no love connection with the others, so nothing would impair his ability to combat them."

Nico's throat went dry. "Chiron, he's attacking Leo today." Chiron sat up, shocked. "When?" Nico looked at his watch. "In 3 hours."


	12. Chapter 12 (Percy)

**XII**

 **PERCY**

Percy stormed out of the room, holding Annabeth over his shoulder. She wasn't moving, but Percy could hear her breathing. He sheathed Riptide and placed the pen in his pocket. Reaching the car, he opened the back door and placed Annabeth inside. He opened the driver's door and sat behind the wheel, revving the engine. As he peeled across the driveway and exited the motel, the communication device buzzed.

When Percy turned it on, Chiron's face came into view. "Percy, listen...Oh, Olympus! What's happened to your face?" he burst out. Percy looked in the mirror and saw his face covered in blood, running from his forehead down till his chin. He wiped it off as best he could with his sleeve then said, "Nothing. I'll explain later. What's the problem?"

Chiron took a deep breath then said, "Nico. I think you'd better explain." He moved aside and Nico's pale face came into view. "Percy... oh my, your face." Percy grimaced, "Tell me about it." Nico swallowed and then said, "Percy, you're gonna hate me for this, but Leo is alive."

Percy swerved across the highway, provoking horns and swears. He stopped on the side of the road, panting heavily. "What in hell do you mean?" Nico swallowed and continued, "I saw that he's alive; in a dream." "Where is he?" Percy growled. "I'm gonna tear his head off."

Nico grimaced, "You won't have to." Percy raised his eyebrows. "Percy, if you don't get to the co-ordinates I'm sending you now by 1:00 pm, he's as good as dead." A series of latitudes and longitudes flashed on screen and the GPS pinpointed the location. "My God, Nico. That's three hours away." Percy looked at the time; _10:52._ He swore, loud enough that Chiron muttered, "Manners, Percy."

"Percy, if you don't stop his attackers, Leo will be their weapon against the gods." Nico said gravely. Percy grimaced; he'd had enough of people waging wars against the gods. "Anything else?" he asked impatiently. "Nothing. Just get there on time. And, Percy?"

"Yeah?" Percy replied. "Be careful." Nico said before ending the call. "Thanks, man." Percy said before turning onto the highway and driving at breakneck speed.

2 hours and 5 minutes later, after numerous scratches on the car; Percy stopped in front of an abandoned warehouse. He looked at the time; _12:58._ He grimaced. He hoped he wasn't too late. Throwing a blanket over Annabeth to disguise her, he drew Riptide and walked towards the warehouse. A steaming hole gaped through the roof, and Percy could see that the door was shut. He rammed into it with all his strength, twice. The door creaked on its rusted hinges and swung inwards.

There lay Festus. And Leo. And- Calypso? Percy ran over to them. They were lying together, motionless. A gash ran down Calypso' face, leaking _ichor_ while Leo's hair was caked with blood. Percy winced as he remembered his own bloodied face and wondered bitterly what kind of reunion this was.

Calypso was lying on Leo's back. Percy gingerly picked her up and walked out of the warehouse with her. She groaned at the movement but otherwise was silent. A tear ran down Percy's face as he remembered their short time together and how he had wronged her. He hoped she wouldn't curse him or Annabeth again when she woke up. As he placed her in the SUV next to Annabeth, he saw a man creep into the warehouse.

 _Oh no, you don't,_ Percy thought to himself and rushed for the door, where the man had entered. He drew Riptide and rushed straight into the warehouse and- _BAM!_ He ran straight into a metal rod that the man was holding. He toppled over backwards and hit the floor, his head bleeding again.

The man smiled evilly and dropped the rod. He walked over to the inanimate form of Leo lying on the table. Pulling a sort of staple gun from his belt, he loaded a square piece of bronze in it. "No," Percy whimpered. The man put his gun on Leo's neck and fired. Leo shuddered once and then went still again.

Percy struggled to his feet, swaying dangerously. The man put the gun back in his belt and smiled evilly at Percy, walking towards him. Percy tried to swing his sword at him, but the man dodged easily. He tapped Percy's sword and it fell down, Percy too weak to hold onto it. He walked out calmly, and Percy fell down again.

As his eyes swam into and out of focus, he saw Leo slowly raise himself up on his arms. He turned his head towards Percy, a dangerous glow in his eyes. His hands caught fire as he walked towards Percy.


	13. Chapter 13 (Frank)

**XIII**

 **FRANK**

Frank struggled to his feet. He rubbed the back of his head, massaging the pain away. When he took away his hand, there was a smear of blood on it. Groaning, he pulled some ambrosia from Annabeth's backpack and popped it into his mouth. He winced as he felt his head heal, and stumbled over to Hazel.

She was breathing regularly, fortunately. Frank walked over to the window and saw their SUV rush off through the driveway, its tires screeching. Frank groaned again, there went their ride.

Hazel suddenly sat up, her eyes fluttering. Frank rushed over to her. "Fr-Frank?" she said weakly. He grabbed her shoulders and tried to hug her but she wriggled out of his embrace. "DON"T TOUCH ME!" she screeched, pulling herself to the other side of the bed. Frank choked back a sob. "Hazel, please. I thought I lost you. I thought she killed you."

Hazel seemed to be debating with herself. Her eyes flicked nervously from him to the door. "Hazel, please." Frank pleaded. She seemed to relax. "Fine, Frank. But you ever do something like that again..." she let the threat hang in the air. Frank nodded, "I'll apologise to the both of them when we see them next."

Hazel snorted, "I doubt an apology is going to cut it." Then her face stiffened as if she remembered something. "Frank. We have to get to San Jacinto now!" Frank raised his eyebrows. "San, what?" he said, confused. "San Jacinto! It's where Leo is!" she shouted at him. Frank reeled backwards, "L-Leo?" he croaked. Hazel nodded earnestly at him.

Frank sighed. He knew Hazel blamed herself for letting Leo die, but so did the rest of them. "Hazel. I don't want to hurt you; but he's dead. No-one could have survived that." She gave him a look as one might a stubborn toddler. "Frank, no. He's alive. I saw him in a dream when I was having that," she gestured wildly at the floor; "seizure- sort of thing."

"What did you see?" Frank asked her. She sighed and started recounting her story. She told him how she'd seen Festus lying crashed in the warehouse. She told him how she'd seen a girl, and Leo; his face covered in blood. _Why did everyone's face have to be covered in blood?_ he thought to himself but didn't interrupt Hazel. She told him how she'd wandered out of the warehouse and seen the name of the place. She told him how she'd heard Pluto telling her to "Stop him." And then she'd woken up; seeing her boyfriend strangling her friend, almost killing her.

Frank sighed, it all seemed plausible. He remembered Hazel telling him that she'd sensed something strange in Leo's death, and he hoped she was right. Of course, Valdez was dead meat when Frank would find him, but that would remain to be decided. First, they had to find him.

Frank grabbed Annabeth's backpack and told Hazel to grab hers. He ran over to his and Percy's room and grabbed their bags. He went to the reception and paid for their stay. Then, Hazel and he took off; Frank as a dragon. Hazel sat on his back, while all four bags rested in his claws.

By the time they reached San Jacinto, it was 12:45. They'd had to stop several times for directions; the GPS was in the SUV. By the time they found the warehouse where Leo was, it was 1:00pm. With a sense of dread, Frank saw the SUV parked in front of the warehouse. He landed and switched back to human form. Turning to Hazel, he said; "Percy's here."

With a sparkle in her eyes; she said "Wonder who he'll kill first, you or Leo?" Frank grimaced. He walked up to the SUV and found two girls propped up on the backseat. One was Annabeth. The bruises on her neck were fading, and she was breathing better now. The other one was someone Frank didn't recognise. She had a gash on her face, though it wasn't bleeding anymore. A trail of golden _ichor_ , the blood of the gods, ran down her face. Hazel walked up to him and inhaled sharply. "That's the girl I saw. You think that's..."

"Calypso." Frank replied. Leo had told them about her, and Frank was sure that's why Leo had gone missing, to find Calypso. "But where's Percy?" Hazel asked.

As if on cue, the sharp _clang_ of metal hitting metal sounded out from the warehouse. Frank tenses, while Hazel drew her _spatha_ , holding a defensive position. "I'll go check what that was." she said. Frank nodded, though he hated to let her go. She didn't go far before flames roared out of the warehouse's open door. She ran back, her face pale.

"Festus?" Frank asked. Hazel stayed silent, her eyes trained on the door. Frank felt a sense of dread creep up his spine and he took a small step towards the warehouse.

Suddenly, Percy emerged into view. He was holding Riptide, and his face was bleeding from numerous new lacerations. He seemed to be running, looking over his shoulder in fear. Frank gulped; anything that scared Percy Jackson couldn't bode well for the others.

Behind him, Leo came into view. Frank choked down a cry of excitement when he saw his hands writhed in flames. His eyes widened when he saw Leo hurl a fireball at Percy. Percy deflected it off Riptide, but his swing was weak. Next time, he wouldn't be so lucky.

Leo roared and his entire body burst into flames. He walked towards Percy with a determined stride. Percy shouted and a wave of water flowed over Leo, coming from three water tanks on the surrounding houses.

Frank rushed over. "PERCY!" he shouted. Percy looked back at him, a look of utter fear in his eyes. "ZHANG!" he shouted. "STOP WHERE YOU ARE!" Frank stopped in his tracks. 'TAKE THE GIRLS!" Percy shouted, his voice hoarse from shouting. "GET THEM OUT OF HERE!"

"WHAT ABOUT YOU?" Frank shouted back. "JUST GO!" Percy snarled back. Frank turned to run. When he reached Hazel, he stopped and turned back. Percy had formed a sphere of water around Leo. Surprisingly, he was still writhed in flames, the water steaming around him. "Percy said to leave." Frank said to Hazel. Her eyes were filled with fear. "We can't leave him." she pleaded with Frank.

But he wasn't going to risk her or the others getting hurt again. He scooped up Annabeth and Calypso in his arms and pulled them out of the SUV. He transformed into a dragon again, and motioned for Hazel to climb onto his back again. Her face was streaming with tears. "Frank, we can't..." she started. Frank roared urgently, shaking his head. She looked one last time at Percy and climbed onto Frank, settling onto his neck.

As Frank took off and rose a hundred metres in the air, a huge explosion shook the ground below them. He looked down and saw flames leaping high, not reaching him, but enough for him to feel their heat. As he looked, Percy's water sphere receded and Leo stood in its place. Percy was kneeling on the ground, his energy spent. A puddle of water had collected around his feet, but it didn't revive his energy as it usually did. He seemed to have given up.

 _No._ Frank thought. _No, Percy. Get up!_ Frank roared, and Percy looked up at him. Through his sharp vision, he saw Percy smile, a small sad smile, and the look in his eyes telling Frank he knew his end had come.

Leo raised his fiery hand and sent a long jet of flame soaring at Percy. It was all he could do to raise the puddle of water as a pathetic shield before Leo's flames hit him; engulfing him and burning him.

Frank roared again; but this time in pain. He flapped his wings, going higher as Leo turned to look at him. The flames left his body, all the fire extinguishing. In the middle of the ground lay what was left of Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon.


	14. Chapter 14 (Piper)

**XIV**

 **PIPER**

Piper walked over to the Big House. She'd last seen Jason walking over to it, but had decided not to bother him. She'd been to Bunker Nine, trying to raise the spirits of the grumbling Hephaestus kids at having been asked to manufacture so many Kymopoleia action figures.

As she neared the Big House, she saw Jason emerge, looking flustered. Lightning tore through the previously clear sky and a black horse descended, landing in front of Jason. Tempest. Jason climbed onto his back, and before Piper could call him; he took off.

Confused, Piper turned towards the breakfast tent. She hadn't eaten anything and her stomach was rumbling. She walked over and took a seat next to the other Aphrodite kids. Like her, they too woke up late. They all tucked into breakfast, Piper having a stack of pancakes. Several of the Aphrodite kids raised their eyebrows at her 'fattening' choice of breakfast as they delicately ate their own granolas and fresh fruits.

When she finished breakfast, half-an hour later; she wandered around the camp. She walked to Half-Blood Hill, where the Golden Fleece and its guardian dragon had been restored. The dragon snorted playfully when it saw Piper. She ran her hand along its snout, remembering Festus. The memories flooded back to her and she sat down, quite overwhelmed.

She put her head in her hands and cried, cried like she hadn't in so long. _Leo, oh Leo_ , she repeated to herself over and over again. She rocked back and forth, crying into her hands. She blamed herself for his death; she could have used her charmspeak on him and done something. How could she have been so stupid to not see what he was going to do?

She shook herself. When she'd told Jason how much she blamed herself, he had gently scolded her. _You can't change what happened._ he'd told her. He was right. She had to get a grip on herself.

She stood up and roamed around the hill. The signs of the battle against Gaia were still present. Several broken _pilum_ littered the ground, along with an assortment of weapons used by the monster hordes. Monster dust formed a thin, shiny layer on the grass, and many areas were stained red with demigod blood.

Piper continued roaming the hill and then returned to the valley. She saw Nico and Chiron having a discussion on the porch of the Big House. She figured it would be a good time to ask them what had caused Jason to take off like that. She walked over to them. She walked up the steps and called, "Nico?" Nico looked up and went silent. Chiron paced the porch nervously, his four hooves tapping the wood.

"Nico? Where did Jason go?" Nico looked at Chiron, confused. Chiron nodded and Nico began telling her. He told her about Gaius. He told her he was targeting one of the seven. He told her that the others had gone to Texas to try to stop him. Something clicked in Piper's mind. She held up her hand and said, "Wait, why Texas?"

Nico shuffled, "Umm, well; because Percy, Annabeth, Hazel and Frank were there." Piper didn't believe him; he didn't meet her eyes while speaking. "Nico?" she asked again, layering her voice with charmspeak. He blinked and looked at Chiron pleadingly. Chiron sighed and said, "You may want to sit down, child." Confused, Piper sat down in one of the wicker chairs on the porch. Crossing her arms, she said, "Well?"

Chiron sighed again. "My child, Leo Valdez is alive and in Texas." Piper felt like the world was spinning around her. She steadied herself against the arm of the chair. "What. Do. You. Mean?" she spoke through gritted teeth.

"Leo survived the blast. He went off the radar for a few days. He landed in San Jacinto. Gaius is targeting Leo. He wants Leo to be his pawn in the upcoming war." Chiron finished gravely. Piper groaned, _Another war?_

Suddenly, Nico clutched his head. "No, Per..." he groaned and collapsed to the floor. Piper bent down hurriedly to help Nico to his feet. Chiron picked up his phone and called Jason. Nico rose unsteadily to his feet and shook his head.

"What happened, Nico?" Piper asked frantically. Nico didn't respond, continuing to shake his head. Piper repeated the question, layering her voice with charmspeak. Nico raised his face to meet her eyes. His own glistened with tears. "Percy. He's dead."


	15. Chapter 15 (Jason)

**XV**

 **JASON**

Jason soared high above Texas, his _ventus_ horse, Tempest racing across the sky. He was hunched low over Tempest's neck, urging him on to go faster.

He hadn't believed his ears when Nico and Chiron had summoned him to the Big House to tell him Leo was alive. He almost strangled Nico when he told him that he had felt something strange about Leo's death. Then they told him Leo was in danger. He had almost laughed then. _The guy had just come back from the dead. What danger could he be in?_

Nico had explained then. Who Gaius was. What he wanted. And how Leo fit into all that. By the time Jason had realised the extent of the danger, it was nearly 11:15. He'd summoned Tempest and had taken off for San Jacinto, one of the GPS cum mobile phones in his pocket.

As he neared the location where Nico had told him Leo would be, his phone rang. Cursing, Jason took it out and saw the call was from Chiron. "What?" he snapped. "Jason. Nico just collapsed. I think something may have happened. Go carefully." Chiron's voice came over the receiver. "Right, Jason said and pocketed the phone. He cursed as he realised it was already 1:05, a sense of foreboding deep in his gut. It took him a further five minutes to reach the warehouse. When he did, fear filled his body.

The warehouse was deserted, but little flames burnt throughout the ground. Three water tanks had ruptured, and the first fire-trucks were sounding their sirens close by. In the middle of the ground lay a body, clothed in the remnants of an orange T-shirt and jeans. Steam rose from his body, and the bottom part of his jeans had burnt away, leaving his feet exposed through his tattered joggers.

Jason stumbled over to the body, summoning a light wind to blow away the smell of charred flesh. He knelt down next to it, not daring to see who it was. He raised the body's head- and nearly fainted. _Oh, gods. Percy._ Jason felt like crying. Instead, he just sat there; staring at the body like a madman, his eyes unblinking. Tears rolled down his face as he realised what a pathetic end Percy Jackson had come to.

The first fire-truck rolled onto the plot. Jason got up and scooped up Percy. Not trusting himself to look at him again, he walked up to Tempest, who was pawing the ground nervously. He draped Percy over Tempest's neck and climbed up onto him. He choked back tears and said, "Tempest; back to Camp Half-Blood." Tempest whinnied and ran forward, taking off into the sky. Jason had one hand on Tempest's neck while the other one steadied Percy.

 _Whoever did this, you'll pay._ he vowed to himself.


	16. Chapter 16 (Annabeth)

**XVI**

 **ANNABETH**

Annabeth woke up in her bunk in the Athena Cabin in Camp Half-Blood. She stretched her arms and yawned. Gosh, she was tired. As she woke up, she became aware of someone sitting on a chair next to her bed.

It was Frank. He was looking at the floor, his eyes bloodshot and raw from crying. He was constantly fidgeting with his hands, reminding her of Leo.

Annabeth gasped and pulled the sheet up till her neck. It was still sore from when Frank had strangled her. Frank looked up, surprised by the sudden movement. "Hey." he said weakly, attempting to smile. He raised his sleeve to his eyes and wiped them. Annabeth looked around herself. The entire cabin was empty, save her and Frank.

"Frank. Where are the other Athena kids?" she asked, apprehensively. He looked around himself and said, "Umm, I think at breakfast." Annabeth nodded and pulled the sheet closer. "Where's Hazel?" she asked, not wanting to be in the room alone with Frank after what he'd done. "At breakfast." he croaked again.

Annabeth remembered how Frank had thrown Percy across the room. "Frank, where's Percy?" she asked. He looked away. Annabeth couldn't see his face, but he raised a sleeve to his eyes and wiped them. She saw him shuddering, as if sobbing.

She raised herself onto her elbows. "Frank?" she said again, trying to keep the fear out of her voice. He turned around to look at her, and then shook his head. He collapsed into a fit of sobs and sank to the floor off his chair.

Bile creeping up her throat, Annabeth threw off her sheet and climbed out of bed. She made her way to the door of the cabin and light flooded in. Blinking her eyes, she walked around the camp; but it was empty. She walked to the pavilion but it was empty too.

Shivering from fear, she walked till she reached the beach; where she and Percy had shared her first kiss. With a shock, she saw the entire camp gathered there. When they saw Annabeth, whispering started and all of them dispersed, leaving Jason, Piper, Hazel, Chiron, Nico and a girl she didn't recognise standing in a ring. All their eyes were raw and bloodshot, and as soon as they saw Annabeth walking towards them, they turned away.

"HAZEL! What's going on?" Annabeth shouted, fear creeping into her voice. "PIPER! JASON? CHIRON?" she shouted again frantically. Chiron trotted over to her, "Annabeth, dear. I think you better go lie down." he said calmly. "No. Tell me what everybody is acting so weird for." she snapped.

Chiron sighed, "I hoped to spare you the sight." Her blood running cold, Annabeth walked over to the ring of demigods and the girl she didn't recognise. In the middle of the ring, lay a white shroud.

On top of it, lay Riptide.

Annabeth sunk to her knees. Silent tears streamed down her face as she crawled over to the head of the shroud and raised the cloth. "PERCY!" she wailed, throwing herself on top of his body. Tears flooded from her eyes, drenching her face and shirt. "NO! NO!" she wailed again and again. Her mind felt like it was going through a shredder, the pain unbearable. Her chest hurt like someone had stabbed it with an iron-hot poker, the pain in her neck forgotten.

She hit Percy's body; bringing her fist down on it again and again. She felt hands gently grab her and try and pull her away, but she struggled free and continued her assault on her dead boyfriend. A small, sad smile was transfixed on his blood-covered face, and soot had settled down on his head.

She felt a soft hand touch her shoulder. "Annabeth, please. Stop." It was layered with charmspeak. Annabeth tried to resist but her pain was too great. She stopped her assault and instead collapsed on Percy, draping her arms protectively around his neck. "Percy, please. Don't leave me like this." she whispered pathetically but received no answer.

The soft hands pulled her up, but she didn't resist, her body swaying in shock. She felt herself fainting and Piper's soft voice spoke, "Sleep, Annabeth. Rest."


	17. Chapter 17 (Hazel)

**XVII**

 **HAZEL**

Frank had landed at Camp Half-Blood 3 hours after leaving San Jacinto. Jason had gotten there first, and Percy's body was draped over his horse, Tempest. Hazel had known in her heart that Percy had died, but she was hoping against hope that somehow he had survived. He had survived too much for him to be killed by one of them.

She hated Leo. She didn't understand why he'd do this. When Chiron explained Leo's predicament to her, she still felt hate. But not for Leo. For Gaius; who had indirectly but deliberately killed Percy.

They had taken Percy down to the beach and wrapped him in a shroud. They'd placed his sword on top of the cloth. The entire camp had gathered to pay their last respects to Percy; who had in many ways been their leader. Jason had informed Camp Jupiter of the event, and a deputation had left from there to come and 'condole'. Hazel had dreaded ever seeing this day, when one of her friends would die.

But she dreaded Annabeth's reaction more. She had stumbled onto the beach, confused and dazed. When she'd seen Percy, Hazel had barely been able to contain her tears at her pained reaction. She hadn't tried to stop Annabeth's wailing, unlike Jason and Piper. When Annabeth had collapsed, Hazel had been almost grateful. Piper and Jason had walked her back to the Athena cabin, half-asleep.

Nico came over to her and put his arm around her. He too, was crying; though Hazel had never thought she'd see that. Jason and Piper returned, Jason embracing her in a one-armed hug. He'd changed. He hadn't spoken at all since he'd returned with Percy, and the light in his eyes had disappeared.

Chiron sighed, "Well, I think we should do what we have to now." Hazel nodded. They'd agreed that Percy's death ceremony wouldn't be like the other Greek ones. They'd agreed to bury him at sea, as a token of his father. Also, though no-one said it; they secretly hoped that the sea, being Percy's domain; would heal him or something. But Hazel knew that was impossible.

Jason and Nico lifted Percy's shroud carefully. Frank walked over from the Athena cabin and placed an arm around Hazel. He was still crying, and she knew he blamed himself for Percy's death. Hazel gently kissed him on his cheek, but he didn't appear to notice. He kept staring blankly at Percy's shroud.

As Jason and Nico walked to the sea, the water started rumbling. A fountain burst forth in the middle of the sea and a twenty-foot tall man appeared from it. He held a trident in his hand and walked slowly towards the beach. As he walked, he appeared to diminish in size, so by the time he reached the beach; he was regular-sized. If you can call 6'4" a regular size. He towered over them all, and looked each of them in the eye.

The trident had shrunk in size and he had placed it in the belt of his tunic. "Jason Grace," he spoke, and Jason straightened up. He then proceeded to name them all, and bowed his head. "I thank you all for what you have done for my son."

"Poseidon." Jason spoke, through gritted teeth. Poseidon raised his eyebrows. Jason bowed his head, "My Lord, would you please tell my father something for me?" Poseidon stared at Jason for an uncomfortably long moment, then nodded. Jason bowed again and said, "Tell him, that the Fates are lucky that I am just a demigod, otherwise they would be no more."

Poseidon raised his eyebrows as lightning crackled overhead. He smiled, a wry, mirthless smile. "I shall tell my brother this. And the rest of you," Poseidon said, turning to face them; "Do not hold back when the time of choice comes."

With this statement, Poseidon held out his arms for Percy. Jason and Nico carefully placed him in Poseidon's arms and he turned around; walking to the sea till it covered him and his son, no more to be seen. Hazel sobbed again, leaning on Frank.


	18. Chapter 18 (Jason)

**XVII**

 **JASON**

Jason sat hunched over on a chair in the tent for lunch. He wasn't eating, but Chiron had ordered him, Piper, Frank and Hazel to be there. All four of them sat silently, Piper leaning on him while Frank and Hazel held hands. A painful thought occurred to Jason as he realised Annabeth would probably never be like them again, having a significant other. Judging by the way the others were glancing at the empty seats next to them, they were thinking the same thing.

Calypso walked over to them and sat down next to Piper. She, too was crying. "Percy once promised to free me from my island. When he left I cursed Annabeth for stealing him away from me. No freedom came, and I waited again. Then Leo came."

At the sound of his name, all of them shuffled uncomfortably. If Calypso noticed, she didn't show. "He promised to return to me again. I waited and waited, and soon enough he did. When we were leaving, I dared to hope that I may for once have a love; but it was not to be." She buried her face in her hands and started sobbing.

Piper leaned over and stroked her shoulder. "Calypso, you _and_ Annabeth will learn to love again. Just give it time." But they all knew how hollow that statement sounded, and how reality was different.

Jason got up, feeling a need to walk around. Piper looked at him enquiringly and he said, "I'll be back in a while." He walked around the camp, looking at how different it felt when he was sad. He'd never thought he'd miss Percy this much; but he did. Percy was the only one who'd treated him as an equal. The only one who hadn't insisted on him being super-careful. As he thought, he realised that he and Percy were the best team in all seven of them. The fact that, up till now, they were the only ones to have tried killing each other, somehow brought them closer.

As Jason walked, he ended up near the beach. Though the memory was too painful, he forced himself to continue walking. He had to be stronger than this. As he neared the sea, he saw someone standing in it. With a shock, he realised it was Annabeth!

At first, he thought she was trying to drown herself. He ran over to her, getting his clothes wet till he stood next to her, knee-deep in water. As he reached her, he realised she wasn't walking forward, but just standing and looking at the sun. "Hello, Jason." she spoke in a cracked voice. "Hello, Annabeth." he replied. "Lovely isn't it?" she croaked, gesturing at the water. Jason nodded. She looked beautiful, despite the fact that her hair was a mess and her eyes were bloodshot.

Jason felt a sudden protective urge for her. He wanted to make sure nothing hurt her ever again, even if he had to die. He cursed Percy for leaving her alone in this pitiful state.

Annabeth suddenly swayed. Jason reached out to steady her but she raised her hand and stood still. She sat down in the water, till it covered her stomach and drenched her clothes completely. Jason sat down next to her, not minding the cold.

Annabeth leaned against Jason. Her head rested against his shoulder, her blonde hair billowing out behind her in the sea breeze. Jason put an arm around her, embracing her in a brotherly hug. He felt her shuddering, and knew she was crying. He squeezed her arm protectively, right before the fireball hit the beach behind them.


	19. Chapter 19 (Nico)

**XIX**

 **NICO**

Nico walked around Leo's unconscious body lying on the table in the Big House. Part of him wanted to stab him, but that would do no good. _Leo didn't kill him. Gaius did._ he told himself.

Chiron was standing next to Leo, his hand on his chin. "Nico," he sighed, "Do the honours." Nico nodded and turned Leo onto his back, grunting with the effort. He swiped Leo's hair away from the back of his neck, revealing a square Celestial bronze piece.

It was attached to his neck, with blue-grey tendrils spiralling outwards. There were miniscule protrusions on the surface of the square, almost like screws.

"Nico, can you take it off?" Chiron asked, hopefully. Nico placed his hand on the square, slipping his fingernails under the surface. When he tried to pull it off, a wave of cold passed over him. Nico reeled backwards, letting go off the chip. He tripped over his own feet and landed on his back, groaning in pain.

Jason ran over to Leo and picked him up. Nico grunted in thanks and brushed himself off. "Chiron," he started, "I can't take the chip off without killing Leo. I'm sorry." he hung his head.

Chiron nodded, though his eyes betrayed a certain sadness. "Can't you try? Rip it off and stuff some ambrosia in his mouth." Frank offered.

Nico shrugged. "He'd probably be dead the moment the chip leaves his skin." He placed his hand on the square, letting it express its power. Dread washed over him, as it did when he'd been in the presence of his father.

"His soul is trapped inside the Celestial Bronze. That's the only thing keeping him alive." he croaked. "I take this off..." he trailed off.

Jason and Frank had got shocked looks on their faces. Chiron looked grim. "You mean his, his soul is in there?!" Jason asked incredulously. Nico nodded. "Yup, it's pretty disgusting."

Frank turned away and walked out of the room. Nico understood. It was pretty disconcerting to be told by a son of Hades that someone's soul was trapped inside a chip. Jason swallowed, "So you mean, all that Leo is; is inside that- thing?"

Nico nodded. Jason went pale. "That's-disgusting," he said. Nico nodded again. "If we take this off, all that Leo is; vanishes forever," Nico said gravely.

"Why don't we do it, then?" a new voice spoke from behind Nico. Nico whirled around, revealing Annabeth standing in the doorway. "Annabeth, please," Jason pleaded with her but she shook her head. "Take it off, Nico," she said calmly.

"Annabeth," Chiron started but she turned on him with her eyes full of anger. "HE KILLED PERCY!" she shouted. "DOES THAT MEAN NOTHING TO YOU?"

"Annabeth, that wasn't him," Nico said, causing her to whirl around at him. She looked like she wanted to say some biting remark, but her shoulders fell. Her head drooped and tears ran down her face. Jason caught her as she sank to the floor. "I'll take her out," he said; walking out, Annabeth leaning heavily on him.

"Nico, please just leave him here. You need a rest," Chiron said. Nico nodded and walked out of the Big House and turned towards the cabins.

As he neared the lunch tent, he saw a flash of blond hair. He turned towards it and saw Annabeth and Jason locked in a tight embrace. They were kissing. When Jason saw Nico, his eyes widened in a silent plea that Nico understood only too well, _don't tell anyone. Please_.

Nico nodded in acknowledgement and walked on. He saw Piper running towards him. "Nico, have you seen Jason?" she asked breathlessly. Nico swallowed, his mouth suddenly feeling very dry. "Umm," he said, stalling for time. "I think he went that-a-way," he said, pointing in the direction opposite to where he'd seen Jason and Annabeth.

Piper beamed at him, "Thanks, Nico!" She ran off in the direction he had pointed. Nico felt bad, but at the same time he didn't want Jason's secret spread. Jason knew some embarrassing things about him as well.

Nico reached his cabin, walking over to his bunk and lying down on it. As he drifted into sleep, exhausted from his exertions; he dreamed of his memories of Percy.


	20. Chapter 20 (Jason)

**XX**

 **JASON**

Jason felt terrible. He stumbled into his cabin, falling on the bunk. He couldn't believe what he'd just done. "Sorry, Perce," he muttered, looking at the roof. Lightning continued flashing across the roof and thunder rumbled. Zeus looked down at him with a stern look. Everything around him seemed more constricting, moving in towards him. Jason felt more claustrophobic than he ever had before.

The ghost of the kiss he'd just shared with Annabeth tingled on his lips. He walked over to the bathroom and splashed water on his face, making extra sure to wash his mouth. He gargled a few times, before coming out and lying on his bed.

As he lay on bed, he heard a knock on the door. Jason sat up. "Oh, hey Piper," he said as his girlfriend walked into the cabin. She looked beautiful, even more than usual. Jason wondered if Aphrodite was punishing him for being unfaithful. He shook the thought out of his head as Piper came and sat down next to him on his bunk.

"Hey, Jason," she said back. Jason placed an arm around her, pulling her close. She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. Her hair smelled good, maddeningly so. Jason leaned his head on hers, closing his eyes.

"Jason. I've got to tell you something," she whispered. Jason hummed in acknowledgement. "Jason, I- Percy..." she trailed off. Jason moved his head away from her, tilting it to look in her eyes. He couldn't pinpoint the exact colour or shade; they kept changing.

"Jason, I- I kissed Percy," she blurted out; burying her face in her hands. Jason thought he'd feel angry. Or betrayed. Or sad. He felt nothing. The guilt that had been gnawing away at his soul seemed to dissipate. _Not everyone was perfect._

"It was back in Rome. When Annabeth was looking for the statue. He just seemed so lost, I – I don't know what came over me," she finished, looking so sorry that Jason couldn't be angry at her.

"Pipes, it's – it's okay. I understand," he said, hugging her tighter. "Annabeth, she – she just kissed me a while ago. I didn't stop her. I just wanted her to know it wasn't the end after, you know, Percy," he confessed.

Jason expected Piper to be angry or something. Apparently she felt as sorry as him that she just leaned on him. She sighed. "Good to know even you're not perfect, Jason," she breathed. Jason laughed; something he'd thought he'd never do again. "Gosh, mom must just be so proud of the two of us right now," Piper sighed.

They sat there together, holding each other; as the Camp gathered for dinner in the tent. That was just before an explosion shook the entire floor, throwing the two of them on the floor. The cabin seemed to fade away, and the two of them were left standing in the middle of a desolate wasteland. All around them stood expressionless figures. As they moved into the light, Jason saw that Percy's face was transposed on their heads.

"Jason Grace," they said in unison. "Let us now see your real strength. Will you be worthy of the sacrifice or will another be needed?"

Jason pulled his sword from his belt. "Why don't you come and see?" he snarled angrily as he charged.


	21. Chapter 21 (Hazel)

**XXI**

 **HAZEL**

Hazel was sitting in her bunk when she saw Nico come into the cabin. He looked deathly pale, even more than usual. He stumbled over to his bunk and collapsed on top of it. Soon, he was snoring. Hazel got off her own bunk, walking over to him. She covered him in his blanket and kissed him on his cheek.

She walked out of the cabin, blinking at the bright sun. It was past lunch-time; but the sun still shone bright. She walked over to the Ares cabin, where she hoped to find Frank.

"Hazel!" came a shout from behind her. She turned around to see Clarisse walking over to her. "Frank is at the archery range, if you're looking for him," she said. Hazel nodded in thanks and walked over to where she remembered the archery range was.

As she neared it, she heard a sound like machine-gun fire. She rounded a bend and saw Frank shooting arrows at a target. Dozens of shafts protruded from the centre of the target. His hand was a blur, moving so fast that Hazel could barely see it. He was shooting arrows as fast as he could load them from a stack next to him, which was pretty fast. She leaned against the tree, marvelling at his skill; until the last arrow was finished.

Frank dropped the bow to the ground, breathing heavily. His face was beaded with sweat, his shirt drenched in it. He winced in pain and opened his hand. Hazel's heart sank. His hand was filled with cuts and scratches from where it had touched the bowstring again and again. "Frank!" she shouted, running towards him. "What do you think you're doing?!"

He turned to her, hiding his hand behind his back. He tried to mask the look of pain on his face but failed. She pulled his hand from behind his back. She opened it and stroked it soothingly. When she took it away, her own fingers were covered in blood. She looked up at Frank, his eyes met hers, and his were filled with tears.

"I love you," he said. Hazel blushed. She wrapped her arms around Frank and he pulled her into an embrace. They stood there for some time before Frank let go of her. "Hazel," he began. "You know, Percy..."

Just then, the entire earth shook. Frank and Hazel toppled off their feet, ending up next to the tree. They got up and tried to steady themselves, but the earth kept shaking. "Gaia?" Hazel asked, fear in her voice. A voice in the back of her head laughed. "No, Hazel," it said. "Something much, much worse."

A huge brick wall erupted in front of Hazel, separating her from Frank. She heard Frank's yell as he was pushed away from her. She choked back a sob before turning back to the wall. She placed her hand on it and closed her eyes, searching for what she hoped she would find. She almost laughed out loud, "IT"S AN ILLUSION!" she shouted.

The voice laughed again. "Very good, Hazel. But I doubt anyone else will pick up on that." A crashing sound came from the left of Hazel. A huge spear was hurtling towards her. Instinctively, she thrust out her hand. Bending the Mist to her will, she forced the spear to spiral out of control, landing in the ground. She knew everything that would happen from now on would be an illusion, a trick of the Mist.

She ran towards the Big House. Another brick wall surfaced in front of her, covered in spikes. She imagined a tunnel leading underground and one opened up, seconds before she hurtled into the spikes. She followed the tunnel, willing it to extend till the Big House. She kept strengthening the walls to prevent anything entering.

The tunnel finally surfaced next to the Big House. She ran inside, shouting "CHIRON!" He lay spread-eagled on the cabin floor, his hide steaming. She ran over to him and placed her hands on his flank. He was breathing. She looked around, looking for Leo. There was a steaming hole in the wall, evidently from where Leo had escaped. If he found Frank or any of the others...

Hazel shook the thought out of her head. She had to help the others now! She ran out of the Big House, looking for the rest of the Camp. Most of them were lounging around in the lunch tent, seemingly unaware of the chaos. Or maybe Gaius had chosen not to engage them.

She ran onwards, using her power to look beyond the Mist. The brick walls that had been there were no more, she saw the world without the Mist. Jason and Piper stood back to back, fighting against invisible enemies. Hazel allowed the Mist to show her what they saw and she saw them ringed by over a dozen figures with faces like Percy. Gaius was playing with their minds.

She ran over to him, shouting; "JASON! HE'S PLAYING WITH YOU! THERE'S NO ONE THERE!" Jason looked up, confused; but suddenly rolled to the side as one of the Percys brought his sword down right where he had been. Jason swiped his blade at him, causing him to disintegrate, shouting; "WHY, JASON? I WAS YOUR FRIEND!" Dang, Gaius was good.

She left Jason and Piper; they could take care of themselves. She ran over to Frank, when suddenly she saw Leo appear above them. He fired a tongue of flame at Frank, but he dodged out of the way. Frank put his hand on the pouch he always carried with him, within which was the piece of firewood that his life depended upon. His eyes widened as Leo laughed and fired another jet of flame at him.

Hazel shouted and stretched her hand outwards. She played a hunch; Gaius wouldn't want Leo captured again and so it had to be a trick of the Mist. The flame stopped halfway, and then disintegrated, along with Mist Leo.

She sunk to her knees, weakened. Frank ran over to her and placed his big arms around her, pulling her up. He kissed her on the forehead. "You were wonderful," he said. She blushed, right before she heard a blood-curdling scream rip through the air.

Frank and she ran for the cabins, from where the scream had come. As they ran, Jason and Piper ran up to them, joining them. Jason's head was bleeding, blood running into his eyes; obstructing his vision. Hazel waved her hand and the blood vanished, it was once again a trick.

As they reached the cabin, she heard a cold laugh. Rounding the bend, she saw two figures struggling in front of the Athena cabin. One of them was Annabeth, her blond hair studded with mud and her clothes stained with blood. The other one was someone only Nico had seen, but Hazel recognised. His blond hair swept across his face as Annabeth pushed him away. He was tall, taller than Jason. He had a cruel smile on his face, which would have been handsome if not for the fresh scratches on it.

He kicked Annabeth in the leg, and she doubled over. He pulled her up from the hair, as she screamed in pain. He placed a knife at her throat. The blade attracted Hazel, transfixing her. It was translucent, a cloud moving across it. The cloud had black dots inside, which seemed to move around within the cloud.

Hazel shook herself out of her trance. "Gaius!" she shouted. He looked up, his snarl being transformed into a cold smile. "Hazel," he acknowledged. "Let her go," Piper spoke up, layering her voice with charmspeak. Gaius laughed, a noise that seemed to pierce through Hazel's mind.

"Daughter of Aphrodite, save your breath. Charmspeak does not work on me. Now, I think it's time I took my little sister on a trip," he snarled. Before any of them could react, he slashed at something behind him. A tear opened up in mid-air, revealing a cloudy landscape behind. "The Mist," Hazel breathed, in shock.

Gaius walked backwards, still clutching Annabeth by the hair. She screamed and struggled, but her eyes were filled with tears. Jason ran forwards, trying to catch her; but Gaius had already dragged her into the tear. Once they were past, it sealed itself; so that Jason went flying through thin air, landing in the grass.


	22. Chapter 22 (Annabeth)

**XXII**

 **ANNABETH**

Annabeth woke up in a dark room the size of a cell. The air smelled musty, but Annabeth didn't care about that. She was already on her feet, massaging her neck with one hand while she checked her surroundings with the other. Her eyes were still adjusting to the dark, and she could just make out outlines.

She sat down again on her 'bed', a mattress laid out on the floor. She placed her head in her hands, crying. _NO! Pull yourself together_ , she shouted at herself. But she couldn't help crying, when she remembered Percy, and – and Jason. _No, don't think about him,_ she told herself. _What you did was wrong._

Suddenly, the door opened with a metallic _clang_. Light flooded in, blinding Annabeth. She was pulled up by rough, gloved hands and she heard the cocking of a – gun? Demigods and monsters didn't use guns. "I'll take her from here," she heard a familiar voice say. "Leo?" she asked. She felt another hand grab her shoulder and pull her into a darker corridor. They were walking downwards, as her feet struggled to find a grip. Her eyes adjusted quickly, and she saw Leo marching her downwards, a grim look on his face.

For the first time in a day, she felt herself able to think clearly. With a start, she realised the gravity of the situation. Leo was under the influence of some evil shit-head, who called himself her brother. He'd used Leo to kill Percy, but for the first time since then, she didn't blame Leo. He'd had no control over his actions.

As they neared the end of the corridor, she heard shuffling. Two guards with guns appeared out of nowhere and flanked her and Leo. Leo nodded to them and they opened a door, gesturing towards it. Leo walked in, pushing Annabeth in front. Annabeth's mouth opened in shock at the sheer size of the room. It was at-least twice the size of Bunker Nine, which Leo had discovered at Camp Half-Blood. It was almost bare, except for a few chairs and a table. A huge slab of rock lay on the table. With a shock, Annabeth realised it was Celestial Bronze. A row of cutting tools lay on the table as well, evidently having been used for the cutting of the Celestial Bronze.

"Sister!" came a shout from the opposite end of the room. Gaius was walking towards her, the knife in his hands. Annabeth tried to struggle free of Leo's grasp but he held her shoulder tight. Gaius reached her and slipped the knife into a sheath on his belt. "Don't call me that," Annabeth growled at him. He laughed, saying; "As long as you're here, you won't be making any demands."

"Leo," he said, turning to him. "Leave us. Why don't you go check on the ship?" Leo nodded and left Annabeth's shoulder, turning around. That was the moment she'd been waiting for. She lashed out, sending an uppercut zooming for Gaius' face. She waited for the satisfying _thwack_ that would tell her she'd scored a hit, but none came. Gaius had twisted away at the last moment and grabbed her arm. He pulled it behind her, twisting it. She cried out in pain as he pulled it further. She heard the door close behind her as Leo left.

She kicked backwards, hoping to land a kick in Gaius' groin. He moved out of the way, grabbing her leg with his free hand. Trying to balance herself on one leg was more difficult than she'd imagined, but she managed to stay upright despite the pain.

Behind her, Gaius sighed. "Annabeth," he said, "I really hoped you'd co-operate with me. I don't want to be your enemy. We can work together! Think about what we could achieve!" he said, his eyes widening in excitement. "Why did you kidnap me then?" she asked, grunting from the pain. "I knew you would never listen unless put in a situation where you'd see the benefits of joining me," he said. "You killed Percy. I will never join you," she grunted, her face beaded with sweat.

Gaius shrugged, "Suit yourself," he said and let go of Annabeth's arm and leg, causing her to fall. He walked off, leaving Annabeth gasping for air. He stepped up to a throne-like chair in the corner of the room and sat in it. He pulled a walkie-talkie from his pocket and spoke into it, "Leo, how's it going?" "Fine. Will be done in two days," a voice crackled back. Gaius smiled at Annabeth.

"Well, Annabeth. I guess you'll be confined to your cell for the whole of today. I'm so sorry. I honestly hoped we could have worked together," Gaius said, before clapping his hands twice, the sound reverberating through the room. The door behind Annabeth opened, and rough hands pulled her to her feet, dragging her out of the room as Gaius sat smugly on his throne.


	23. Chapter 23 (Jason)

**XXIII**

 **JASON**

Jason sat on his bed, dizzy. He'd just fought off a dozen... _things_ with Percy's face, minutes after kissing his girlfriend. Then he'd been told they were an illusion, the pain he'd felt was caused by an illusion. Then Annabeth had been taken by Gaius, and he hadn't done anything to save her.

He growled and hurled his pillow at the wall in frustration. He rocked back and forth on his bed, his head in his hands. He lay down, tired from the day's events. As he drifted into an exhausted sleep, he felt himself being pulled into a dream but he was powerless to stop it.

He was once again in Texas, at the warehouse. Tempest landed on the ground and Jason jumped off. Little flames burnt throughout the courtyard as Jason approached a lifeless form lying in the middle of it. As he reached it, it suddenly sat up and turned to face Jason. "Jason," Percy pleaded with him, "Why'd you come so late?" Then a flaming hand burst through his stomach, ripping him apart and Leo came into view. Jason tried to draw his sword but it seemed stuck. Leo raised a fiery hand and shot a jet of flame at Jason. It seared his clothes, burning them off as he felt his face melt. He fell back, lifeless; steam rising from his corpse.

Suddenly, he was transported to another dream. He was with Piper, fighting off the dozen Percies. They kept on calling him a sacrifice, as he cut through them. He saw one sneak up behind him and stab him in the back. He collapsed in pain as the same one turned around and stabbed Piper in the neck, killing her instantly. His eyes closed, and the world darkened...

Jason woke up with a start. He had tears in his eyes from seeing Piper die. He got up off his bed and walked over to the washroom. He turned the tap on and doused his face with water. As he dried his face, he realised someone was standing in the entrance to the cabin. Pretending he hadn't noticed them, he walked over to his bunk and casually moved the sheets around, looking for his sword. The figures stayed motionless, staring at him.

Suddenly, Jason whipped his sword out from under the bunk and raised it towards the figure. "Who are you?" he snarled. The figure calmly stepped into the light. It was wearing a silver parka with a hood. Jason could tell it was a girl. She raised the hood off her face and looked Jason in the eye. She was crying.

"Thalia!" Jason cried out and ran to his sister. She embraced him and they stood like that for a few moments. "Jason, I'm so sorry about Percy," she mumbled, her eyes still clouded with tears. Jason hugged her again and said, "It's my fault. I got there too late."

Thalia removed herself from the hug and cradled his face in her hands, "Jason," she said. "It's not your fault. I promise you, I will do whatever it takes to make sure that whoever killed Percy does not walk free." Jason nodded and lowered his head. Thalia kissed him on the forehead. "I just wanted to see how my little brother was doing," she said before stepping back and walking out of the cabin. "Are you leaving?" Jason asked. "The Hunters are camped on the edge of the wood. I'll see you tomorrow," she said and walked off into the night.

In the morning, Jason walked to the dining pavilion, his sword hanging by his side. He reached there before most of the people, but Piper and Hazel were already sitting there. He sat down next to Piper and a glass of orange juice popped in front of him. He gulped it down and sat back. Piper leaned back against him, resting her head on his shoulders.

"Where's Frank?" Jason asked Hazel. She sighed, "He doesn't like going where there's too many people. He blames himself too much for Percy." Jason nodded in understanding. It had taken all of his willpower to come here. "Pipes," he said, standing up. "I'm going for a walk." She nodded in understanding and Jason sauntered off, to nowhere in particular. As he walked, he saw Frank sitting near the strawberry fields. He walked over to him and sat down next to him.

"Hey, bro," Jason said. Frank turned to look at him, his eyes red. "Hey, man," he replied. Jason put an arm around Frank's shoulders, "Hey, Frank. I know you blame yourself for Percy and it seems like the logical thing to do. But you need to move beyond this. Think of Hazel, man. You gotta be strong; for her," Jason finished. Frank's shoulders slumped. He played absently with a clump of grass.

"Jason, don't you think we should be out there; looking for her?" Frank suddenly asked him. Jason nodded. He'd been thinking the exact same thing. "I know, Frank. But we can't take a quest without a prophecy. And ever since Delphi..." he trailed off. During the war with Gaia, Apollo's old enemy, Python had taken over the Oracle of Delphi, their only source of prophetic information. Apollo had so far failed to retake the Oracle, and all prophecies had ceased.

Frank shot to his feet, his eyes determined. "So what? Jason, we're apparently the Heroes of Olympus. If we can't take this much initiative, what's our point?" Jason nodded. Frank's words made sense. He got up as well, placing his hand on Frank's shoulder. "Frank, you're right. Go get the girls, we'll leave today."

Frank shook his head angrily, unnerving Jason. "We're not taking the girls," he said determinedly. Jason reeled back, shocked. "Why?" he asked. "I'm not gonna risk them getting in trouble or getting hurt just because of my stupidity," Frank said. Jason nodded. He was right. He hated to leave without Piper, but Frank was right. He couldn't risk his girlfriend getting hurt, or killed; after surviving a war.

"So then, who's our third person?" Jason asked. Before Frank could open his mouth to respond, a quiet voice spoke up behind them, "I am." Jason whirled around, revealing Nico di Angelo standing with a determined look on his face.


	24. Chapter 24 (Frank)

**XXIV**

 **FRANK**

Frank grimaced. He hadn't wanted to be accompanied by the son of Hades. But, inwardly, he understood. Like Frank, Nico blamed himself for Percy's death and wanted to make amends.

Jason clapped Nico on the shoulder. "Perfect," he said and looked to Frank. Frank interpreted the look in his eyes; _You okay with this?_ Frank nodded and Jason smiled.

Soon, all three of them were packed. They walked out to a secluded area and Frank transformed into a dragon. Nico and Jason climbed onto his back, settling in on one of the ridges between the plates. As Frank took off, he saw a silver-clad girl rush out from the forest and look upwards at them. With his sharp vision, he recognised Thalia, Jason's sister. She had a grim look on her face, and she turned around and walked back to the wood.

Frank rose higher in the air. He hovered uncertainly, unsure where to go. "Frank, I know you're not gonna like this, but we're going to have to go back to San Jacinto," Nico shouted over the roar of the wind. Frank groaned but turned himself towards the direction of where Percy had died and began flying.

It took them a bit over two hours to reach San Jacinto. Frank landed at the warehouse and transformed back into a human once Jason and Nico had disembarked. As they walked, they saw three figures standing in the middle of the courtyard. Jason drew his sword and the three figures whirled around at the noise.

With a shock, Frank recognised the figures. They were gods. Poseidon and Hephaestus stood together, whilst Hecate faced them. They seemed to have been arguing, anger plastered on their faces. "Jason Grace," Poseidon said. "Why have you come here?" Jason gulped. He hadn't been planning on meeting anyone here. "We came to find a clue to save Annabeth," Nico spoke up, bowing ever so slightly. Poseidon inclined his head in acknowledgement of Nico and looked at Jason again. "I believe you can guess why we are standing here," he said, casting an angry glare at Hecate.

Frank nodded. They were obviously arguing about Percy's death and who to blame. Hephaestus would be defending his son whilst Hecate would be defending hers. "Jason Grace," Hecate spoke up, "I know what you want. You want to kill my son and believe me, I understand. But I cannot allow you to do this." Jason gulped. He knew he would probably anger Hecate with his mission, but he knew he couldn't let Gaius get away with murder.

Frank stepped forward. "Lady Hecate, though we are grateful for all you did for us against Gaia, you must realise that your son, Gaius is evil. He killed Percy," Frank spoke. At the name of his son, Poseidon's eyes dropped and his shoulders slumped. "And now he wants to end Olympus as well. You must allow us to at least catch him," Frank pleaded. Hecate seemed to be pondering the plea. But before she could answer, she collapsed to the ground, shrieking in pain and clutching her head. Poseidon and Hephaestus also sunk to the ground, groaning in pain. Frank felt a chill run through his spine, as if someone was twisting his heart, and he swayed dangerously.

Frank saw the three incapacitated gods start to glow. "Don't look!" Jason shouted and Frank turned his back on them as the three went supernova, vanishing from sight.


	25. Chapter 25 (Annabeth)

**XXV**

 **ANNABETH**

Annabeth wandered through New York. The Celestial Bronze chip on her neck would have hurt, but she barely registered the pain. As far as she could tell, her body was moving and doing things of its own accord, with her consciousness being confined to a small area in her brain where she was powerless.

She neared the Empire State Building, her backpack very bulky. She entered the lobby and showed a drachma to the security guard. He nodded and she walked for the elevators. She zoomed for the 600th floor, her eyes blank.

The conscious Annabeth realised what she was being made to do, but she could not stop it. She tried desperately to fight the power of the mind-control chip Gaius had attached on her, reaching deep into her vestiges of willpower, but she felt as helpless as a newborn.

The elevator boomed and went super-sonic. The conscious Annabeth realised she had reached Olympus as the doors opened and revealed a beautiful valley. The conscious Annabeth marvelled again at the beautiful architecture, but the one Gaius was controlling simply walked amongst them as if they were old apartment blocks.

As she walked, she neared the top of Mount Olympus. A huge palace rose up on the summit, her destination. She climbed the steps to the palace, her backpack extremely heavy. The conscious Annabeth screamed and tried to break out of her prison but the 'zombie' one just kept on walking.

 _Mother_ , the conscious Annabeth cried as she saw Athena pacing in front of the palace. No sound came out of her mouth. "Annabeth," Athena cried out in genuine pleasure and walked over to her. _No, please. Don't. Run away, run away!_ she tried to shout but her mouth remained shut. She placed an arm around Annabeth's neck and hugged her daughter.

Annabeth felt her hand move towards her backpack. _No,_ she cried out. The hand unzipped a pocket on the side of the backpack. _No_. The hand pulled out a small control. _NOOO!_ Her thumb pressed a button on the control. _Forgive me, mother_.

Waves of dark sound rushed outwards from Annabeth, going throughout Olympus. Athena crashed to the ground, writhing in pain as golden _ichor_ leaked from her nose and ears. Annabeth sank to her knees, the Celestial Bronze chip shorted out by the waves. Agonised screams and cries sounded out all around, and Annabeth heard pained bellows from inside the palace.

Suddenly, the sound waves ended. Annabeth crawled over to her mother. The sound hadn't affected her as much as it had the immortals; it was at a frequency particularly painful to them. She grabbed her mother by the shoulders and shook her, but Athena lay motionless.

Suddenly, Ares emerged from the palace. Annabeth's heart leapt in joy to see him, even though he was the last god she wanted to see generally. _Ichor_ leaked from his nose as he stumbled across to Annabeth. He picked up Athena in his arms and stumbled backwards to the palace, followed by Annabeth. They struggled back into the palace, where all the other gods and goddesses were lying motionless. With a flash, Annabeth saw three more appear in the middle of the palace floor.

Ares placed Athena on her chair and stumbled back. "Girl," he snarled, the effort causing him pain. "What. Have. You. Done?" he groaned. Before she could answer, he fell backwards, unconscious. Annabeth felt her own legs buckle and she sank to the floor, having incapacitated Olympus.


	26. Chapter 26 (Hazel)

**XXVI**

 **HAZEL**

Hazel leaned against Piper. She was grateful for her friend, being there for her when Frank was acting so distant. As they sat, she saw a huge red blur fly overhead and raised her head. _Frank?_ she thought, but pushed the thought out of her mind as she saw Thalia, Jason's sister, walking towards them.

"Jason, Frank and Nico are gone," she told Hazel when she reached her. Hazel shot up. "Where?" Piper asked. Thalia raised her hands, indicating she wasn't aware. Piper groaned, a sentiment Hazel shared. "I know," she said to Piper. "I wish I could punch him too sometimes."

Chiron galloped over to the dining pavilion. "Thalia, welcome back. I assume you're here for..." he trailed off, seeing tears in Thalia's eyes. "Yes," she said and leaned against Chiron's flank. "I still can't believe he's dead," she moaned, tears streaming down her face. Chiron nodded sagely, "I know, child. None of us can."

Thalia composed herself. "When do we pay respects?" she asked. "When the Romans and the Amazons get here," Chiron replied. As if on cue, a horn blew, indicating the arrival of the Romans. Hazel got up off her chair and peered over Thalia's head to see whom the Romans had sent. With a shock, she realised none other than Reyna, the other praetor of Camp Jupiter, was walking towards them. Behind her strode Dakota, the Centurion of the Fifth Cohort. Both of them had grim looks on their faces, though Dakota's stained red mouth made his look a bit comic.

Reaching them, Reyna placed a hand on Hazel's shoulder. "Hazel," she said in a broken voice. "I'm so sorry." Hazel nodded and felt tears rush to her eyes as well. She suddenly embraced Reyna, feeling her memories of Camp Jupiter return. "Where are Frank and Jason?" Reyna asked her, pulling away from the embrace. "They've left," Piper said from behind Hazel.

Reyna seemed sorry to not have seen them, and she and Dakota strode away to Half-Blood Hill, where the Roman Army had been encamped not too long ago. Soon, another horn blew, different this time. Hazel recognised the face of the person whom had entered the Camp from the woods. _Hylla?_ Chiron had said that the Amazons were coming, but she didn't realise their queen would be with them. Hylla was alone; none of the other Amazons were with her.

Hylla reached the dining pavilion, walking up to Hazel. "Hazel Levesque," Hylla said, extending her hand. "It's good to see you again." Hazel took her hand and shook it. "I'm sorry to hear about Percy," she said. Hazel nodded in thanks. Those words sounded so empty, so hollow...

Chiron interrupted Hazel's thoughts with the announcement that the 'service' for Percy would be starting soon. Hazel and Piper separated from the rest and walked to the beach slowly. When they got there, the beach was empty, save for a crouching satyr. "Coach Hedge?" Piper wondered aloud.

The satyr turned around. HE was much taller than Coach Hedge, but much slimmer. He had a small, black goatee and a dark complexion. On his head rested a crown of leaves and his eyes were red. "I'm afraid not," the satyr said in a high, reedy voice. "I'm Grover Underwood, head of the Council of Cloven Elders." He turned to the sea. "And Percy Jackson's protector," he finished, sobbing. Hazel felt sad for the poor satyr. They took their jobs as protectors seriously, and even though Percy hadn't had a protector in years, Grover probably felt horrible because of his death.

She placed an arm around his shoulder. "Mr. Underwoo- Grover," she corrected herself. "We'll avenge him. You can be sure of that." Grover just continued sobbing, deaf to what Hazel had said. Soon, the rest of the Camp was assembling on the beach and Grover retreated to the back. Chiron, Thalia, Hylla and Reyna stepped forward, the two sisters having a brief reunion.

"Today, we remember Perseus Jackson," Chiron started, his voice hoarse. "A great demigod, and a hero to all of us." At this, Reyna and Hylla shared a look, though Hazel wasn't sure if she imagined it.

Once Chiron was done extolling all of Percy's virtues, he withdrew and let Reyna speak. Taking a deep breath, she started. "Percy Jackson was a leader to us Romans, rising to the rank of praetor as fast as any we have seen. He was a hero on and off the battlefield, and we Romans shall surely miss him."

Once she was done, Thalia and Hylla stepped forward at the same time. After a brief standoff, Hylla yielded to Thalia. Clearing her throat, she started; "Percy Jackson was my cousin. He was a great demigod, who's only fault was his loyalty. He would go to the ends of the Earth for his friends and family, and I am sorry we couldn't do the same for him. He is the one male the Hunters regard as their own, and the only one who will forever be remembered in our hearts. Farewell, cousin," she finished, her eyes teary again.

Then Hylla came forward and spoke, mirroring what Thalia had said. After she was done, all the campers kneeled silently, Percy in all their minds. After a few moments, the entire Apollo and Ares cabins along with the Hunters of Artemis came forward and fired flaming arrows into the sea, as a token of respect.

Hazel and Piper went back to the dining pavilion, their eyes fresh with tears. As they sat down to dinner, Reyna and Thalia walked over to their table. Just as they were about to sit down, Hazel felt a sudden chill in her spine. She looked around and saw all her friends' faces were contorted in pain as well. Chiron had sunk to the ground, his arms pulling at his hair in agony. A huge roar seemed to fill the camp, and several fires extinguished.

The incident finished as soon as it had begun. "What was that?" a camper shouted fearfully. Several had drawn their swords or nocked arrows. Chiron struggled to his hooves, shaking his head in dismay. "Olympus," he croaked, "has been attacked."


	27. Chapter 27 (Annabeth)

**XXVII**

 **ANNABETH**

Annabeth felt horrible. Sure, the chip getting short-circuited and depositing her soul back into her body like a shot had been disorienting. But here she was, standing amidst the 11 of the 12 Olympians (plus Hecate and Hades), being held responsible for their predicament. Athena, her mother was still knocked out, lying in her chambers.

Zeus leaned forward, streaks of _ichor_ still flowing from his ears. "Annabeth Chase, consider yourself lucky," he boomed, wincing at his own loudness. She felt her mouth open in protest, but forced it down. She couldn't afford getting angry at the Zeus, not in this situation. Poseidon looked at her softly, thankfully he realized what she was going through after losing Percy.

"Hecate!" Zeus shouted. She stepped forward, bowing slightly. "Your son," he continued through gritted teeth; "is the one responsible for this attack. If Poseidon had not seen the chip on her neck, she would be paying the price for the fault of your son!"

Hecate looked up at him, her eyes flashing. Even though she was angry at the goddess of magic, she admired her bravery. No wonder her father had fallen for Hecate as well. "Lord Zeus," Hecate began, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "If we were to blame gods and goddesses for what their demigod offspring did, I'm afraid you wouldn't be where you are now."

Zeus' eyes widened in anger. His tanned face turned the shade of a tomato and thunder rumbled overhead. "YOU DARE…" he began but was cut off by Poseidon. "She is right, brother. Though I bear her no love after," he paused. "After my son was killed, her logic is not wrong. We are all to blame for one thing or another."

Zeus seemed to calm down for a moment, though Annabeth knew Hecate would regret this. He inhaled deeply, then turned to Annabeth. "Child, you will be sent back to Earth now. Be careful not to fall in Gaius' clutches again. You must do everything you can to stop him. We will not now be able to interfere in this war. We are weakened, and we must stay here to defend Olympus, as best we can. Your antics, have caused us much pain." Annabeth opened her mouth to protest but Zeus raised a hand. "Do not anger me, child. Be thankful for our generosity. Leave now." Annabeth turned around and walked out, leaving the throne room. She heard arguments start behind her, but paid no heed.

As she descended the steps, she felt a hand touch her back. She turned around and saw Poseidon. She lowered her head ever so slightly. "My Lord," she said. It was striking how much he looked like Percy, the same sea-green eyes and the same nose. His eyes were sad; Annabeth had never realized how much pain a death of a demigod would cause their godly parents.

"Annabeth, I know of the feelings my son had for you, and I must say, he has a worthy choice," he said. Annabeth blushed, but her eyes also filled with tears at remembering Percy. "My child, I must ask a great favour of you." Annabeth sighed inwardly, she had hoped they'd let her go silently.

"My child, believe me when I say I would do this myself, but I am unable to leave Olympus in my weakened state. You will be tested, but I know you will prevail," he said, a grim look in his eyes. Annabeth groaned inwardly. Was he going to ask her to fight some huge sea monster or something?

"I want you to go to Sally Jackson, and tell her about Percy," he said. Annabeth reeled backwards. No, he didn't seriously need her to tell Percy's mom. Then she realized no one else could. She nodded, eliciting a sigh of relief from Poseidon. "Thank you, child," he said.

"Would you do me a favour as well, Lord Poseidon?" she asked. He raised his eyebrows and spread his hands. "Look after my mother for me, will you?" she said. Poseidon smiled and nodded, turning back towards the palace.

About half-an-hour later, Annabeth was walking through the streets of New York, heading for Percy's mom's apartment. She was dreading telling her that her only son was dead, someone she'd loved more than anyone for his entire life. Before she knew it, she was at the apartment blocked and climbed the stairs to the apartment itself.

As she knocked on the door, she remembered all the times she'd come here during the months Percy had been missing before the war against Gaia. She remembered how she and Sally had spent hours crying together, remembering Percy.

As she heard the door being opened, she put on a forced smile for Sally's sake. She heard the lock being opened and the door swung ajar. She saw a man's face; it was Paul, Percy's stepdad.

His eyes widened in recognition. "Annabeth? C-Come in," he said, opening the door further. She smiled and walked in over the threshold. As she entered, she saw Sally hobble out of the kitchen into view. She looked beautiful, fresher and healthier than before. She had a prominent bulge in her abdomen, and with a shock; Annabeth realised she was pregnant!

"Annabeth?" she said, incredulously. Then her eyes narrowed. "Is everything okay?" she asked. Annabeth realised she'd been staring blankly. "Hello, Ms. Jackson," she replied. "I was just thinking, wow! Percy's gonna be a brother!" In that moment, she had decided she wouldn't tell Sally about Percy. She wouldn't have been able to handle it, especially in this state.

Sally blushed and looked at Paul. "We were wondering how to tell him ourselves," she said. "How is he? Is he coming?" "He's fine," Annabeth said, deliberately sounding happy. _Liar._ "But no, he won't be coming right now." _Well, that part was true._

Sally's face fell, but she suddenly perked up. "I was just baking some cookies. Why don't you take a seat and I'll bring 'em over," she said. Annabeth placed her backpack on the floor and sat on a sofa. Paul came and sat down on the opposite one. As Sally walked into the kitchen, Annabeth looked at Paul.

He had a handsome face, and Percy had praised him many a time. She knew he was trustworthy, and a silent decision was made. "Mr. Paul?" she said timidly. He looked over at her, a kind smile on his face. "Percy, he-he didn't make it," she blurted out, tears falling from her eyes. His face fell, and his eyes shimmered with tears. Annabeth felt her own watering.

"How?" he finally croaked. "He was killed, by a friend. He was being controlled to kill Percy," she said; every word causing her pain. Paul seemed lost. "If Sally found out," he muttered. "You have to tell her, please. I can't; I'm not strong enough. You have to be strong for her, please!" she pleaded desperately, taking one of Paul's hands in her own.

Paul nodded, wiping his eyes with a handkerchief. Hearing Sally returning, Annabeth let go of Paul's hand and wiped her eyes. Sally walked into the lounge with a tray of cookies. Placing the platter on a small table in front of Annabeth and Paul, she settled down next to her husband. She kissed him on the cheek, and he smiled weakly back at her. Annabeth felt her own heart leap at the memories of her and Percy and how she had dared to hope they'd have a future.

After sitting in the apartment for a few hours, Annabeth left, heading for Camp Half-Blood.


	28. Chapter 28 (Jason)

**XXVIII**

 **JASON**

Jason turned around, shaking his head to clear it. He helped Nico to his feet, Frank already standing. They stumbled to the spot where the three gods and goddess had been lying, but there was no trace of them.

Jason swore, eliciting a raised eyebrow from Nico. They roamed around the courtyard looking for something, anything, which would give them a clue as to what had just happened. Finding none, they walked to the warehouse, Nico drawing his Stygian iron sword. They entered the darkness of the warehouse, the dull glow from Nico's sword illuminating their immediate surroundings. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, Jason realised it was a workshop, none other than the one Leo's mother had perished in.

As they went further into the workshop, they saw a dull glow emanating from the interior of a large room. Jason drew his sword and burst into the room, revealing – Festus? The bronze dragon lay coiled up on the floor, its armour dented in several places and its snout bashed in. It blew smoke as the trio entered and raised its head in recognition. Jason ran over to him and slowly stroked his neck. Festus creaked and clacked, more smoke emanating from his nostrils.

"We can't just leave him here," Jason pleaded with the others. Whilst Nico looked sceptical, Frank seemed to agree with him. "If we can get him back to camp, the Hephaestus kids may be able to fix him up," Frank said.

Suddenly, a large red light appeared from a wall and shone brightly on their faces. Blinded, the three reeled backwards, closing their eyes in pain. Jason saw Frank nock an arrow and it went flying, hitting the light and breaking it. As the warehouse returned to its original darkness, Jason blinked his eyes to rid them of the pain.

Out of nowhere, a voice spoke. "My, my. I foresaw you three coming here, but I never believed you'd be so stupid as to actually do it." With a shock, Jason recognised the voice. "Gaius," he growled. The voice laughed. "Very good, Jason. Now, I'm afraid you can't really be allowed to live. So choose, the dragon or your lives," the voice spoke and the speaker shut off. A timer appeared on a screen, displaying _1:00_. It began counting down.

Jason looked at Frank pleadingly and he sighed. "Alright," he said and transformed into a dragon, bigger than before. As Jason and Nico clambered onto his back, Frank rose slightly in the air and hovered over Festus. _0:42_. He opened his claws and grabbed Festus' back, ignoring his groans of pain. _0:35_. Frank flapped his wings and rose higher, but Festus' immense bulk kept him from going any further. _0:29_.

"C'mon Frank," Jason encouraged. "For Percy." Frank roared with the effort but he managed to raise Festus off the ground. _0:17_. He flapped his wings faster and they neared the hole in the roof. _0:12_. Frank roared again and burst through the roof, the collision delaying him by a few precious seconds, _0:08._ He continued rising and the suspended form of Festus soon cleared the roof. _0:03_.

As they cleared the roof, a huge explosion split the warehouse in half, the fireball rising up through the roof. Jason hugged Nico to protect him, and the fireball reached them.


	29. Chapter 29 (Hazel)

**XXIX**

 **HAZEL**

Hazel soon recovered from the incident, the other campers sheathing their swords and returning their arrows to their quivers. She walked to the lake, where she saw Calypso sitting silently. She walked over to her and sat down next to her. _So she's the one Leo tricked us all for_ , she thought, but then pushed it out of her mind. It wasn't Calypso's fault.

As she sat, she saw Calypso wipe a tear from her eyes. She smiled weakly at Hazel and managed a small, "Hello." Hazel extended a hand, saying "We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Hazel, daughter of Pluto." Calypso raised her eyebrows. "Umm... sorry. Pluto is the Roman form of Hades," she corrected herself, remembering that Calypso had not been off the island since before Roman times. Calypso smiled, though she seemed slightly apprehensive. "I am Calypso, daughter of Atlas," she said, grimacing at the name of her own father.

"So, I guess Leo really fell for you, huh?" Hazel said, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work. A fat tear fell from Calypso's eye onto her white t-shirt. Hazel gulped. _Activate emergency plan_ , she thought to herself frantically.

"Umm, I mean..." she stuttered. "Umm, how do you like Camp Half-Blood?" Calypso was still crying, but she wiped the tears off her face. "It-It's nice," she blubbered. "I only wish L-L-Leo were here."

Hazel felt like wrapping her arms around Calypso, but she wasn't too sure how she'd react. Instead, she tried to soothe her with words. "Hey, don't worry. We're gonna get him back. We miss him too," she said.

Calypso nodded, but her eyes still streamed tears. Hazel realised she may want to be alone, and stood up and left; walking back towards the main area of the Camp. She went for lunch with Piper, even though she barely had an appetite. Neither said anything about it, but both were worrying about their boyfriends.

As they finished lunch and walked to the grounds for afternoon activities, Hazel saw a huge red and gold blur on the horizon. As it neared, she saw it was a dragon holding another dragon, Festus! She recognised the dragon holding Festus as Frank, but he was bigger than before. As he came in to land, she recognised two figures on Frank's back, both hunched over.

Frank deposited Festus on the ground before landing himself. Nico lifted a limp Jason off of Frank's back and they both landed to the ground, falling from Jason's weight. Hazel ran over to the three of them, as Frank transformed back into human form and stumbled to the ground, rolling into a ball.

Hazel reached Frank's side and turned him over. His skin was red, like he was still a dragon. Hazel recognised the redness as burns. Her mouth widened in shock as she fumbled in her pockets for nectar. She poured some into Frank's open mouth as he mumbled unintelligibly in pain. His breathing eased and he relaxed. Hazel looked over at Piper, who was shaking the limp Jason. "JASON WAKE UP!" she shouted as she shook him again and again. Hazel tossed her the bottle of nectar and she poured some into Jason's mouth, her mouth widening into a smile as he coughed and sat up.

A smell of burning emanated from Jason and Hazel thought for a heart-stopping moment that Piper had given too much nectar and he had burned from inside. But then she saw Jason flex in pain and concluded that he and Frank had been through fire.

The two of them struggled to their feet as Nico stood a ways off. Frank leaned on Hazel for support, her knees buckling under his bulk. "Sorry," he grimaced as she stumbled but she smiled up at him. The two of them walked to the infirmary, Frank leaning heavily on her. Behind them, Jason leaned on Piper and Nico as they, too, took him to the infirmary.


	30. Chapter 30 (Annabeth)

**XXX**

 **ANNABETH**

Annabeth reached Camp Half-Blood just as the sun began setting. The waters of Long Island Sound were bathed a beautiful colour in the decreasing light, and Annabeth entered the camp from the wood. As she walked towards the Big House to tell Chiron she was back, a form barrelled into her. She stumbled backwards, her heart racing as she realised her drakon-bone sword was in her cabin and she was virtually defenceless.

She lashed out with a kick, aiming for her unknown assailant. The kick connected and she heard a shriek from the stricken person. As the person fell down, Annabeth recovered from the shock and looked at her assailant. "Piper?" she exclaimed incredulously. Piper was coughing in pain, rubbing her stomach where Annabeth had kicked her. "Ow," she groaned.

"Piper, you idiot!" Annabeth cried out in anger. "What were you thinking?" Piper began laughing, her laughs interspersed with groans from the pain as she struggled to her feet with Annabeth's help. As she leaned on Annabeth and they walked for the Big House, Piper filled her in on everything that had happened since she'd been kidnapped, and how she'd left Jason at the infirmary when they'd started treating his burns.

Annabeth grimaced, "Yeah, about that attack on Olympus." Piper raised her eyebrows in a silent question. "That was me," Annabeth responded. Before Piper could get angry at her, she told her how Gaius had used that chip on her and forced her to carry the sound-bomb to Olympus. Piper nodded in understanding, still massaging her stomach.

Once they reached the Big House, Piper sat outside as Annabeth went in. She saw Chiron sitting in his wheelchair, feeding Snausages to Seymour. He looked over at her and his eyes widened. "Annabeth! Why, this is a pleasant surprise," he said, as if she had gone for a vacation and come back a day before schedule. She filled him in on everything that had happened since she'd been kidnapped, lowering her eyes while narrating the Olympus incident.

Chiron nodded sagely, then said; "You've been through much, child. Now go, with your friends, and relax for some time. I have a feeling we'll need you soon." With this cryptic message, Annabeth left the Big House and linked up with Piper again.

As they walked, Annabeth felt guilt gnawing at her. She inhaled deeply. "Piper," she began. "You know a few days back when I was all, crazy and everything."

"Because of Percy," Piper said. Annabeth nodded, tears forming in her eyes again. "Yeah. Anyway, before I was kidnapped; I must admit, I-I forced Jason to kiss me," she said, lowering her eyes in shame.

She expected Piper to be angry, but she merely nodded. "I know. Jason told me," she admitted. "You're not mad?" Annabeth asked incredulously, not believing her own luck. "How can I be?" Piper laughed. "When I'm guilty too."

Annabeth's eyes widened in realisation. "You mean, you- you- Percy?" Piper nodded, her eyes lowering this time. "Just once, back in Rome. When you were missing. He seemed so lost, I just wanted to..." she trailed off, blushing. Annabeth didn't feel mad. Her only thought was how honest Piper was being with her. "Good to know nobody's perfect, Pipes," she said, hugging her friend close. "That's what I told Jason," Piper replied. Annabeth hugged her tighter, and she and her friend walked to the infirmary.

As they neared the infirmary, Piper whirled around and looked Annabeth in the eye. "No kissing this time, okay?" she said jokingly. Annabeth laughed, her first full laugh in days; and turned up her palms. "I promise," she replied.

Piper laughed and the two of them walked into the infirmary. Jason and Frank were the only two in there, and they occupied adjacent beds. They were chatting, their pain forgotten. As they saw Annabeth come in, they both tried to sit up but then collapsed, groaning in pain. "You may sit," Annabeth joked royally as the four of them laughed. Soon, Hazel came in as well, and they all shared their respective adventures.

As Piper laughed at Jason's jokes, and Hazel fussed over Frank, Annabeth felt a huge sense of loss, more acute than she had in days. Piper noticed her friend's sadness and got up. "Annabeth, Hazel and I are going to the dining pavilion to grab a bite. You coming?" she asked.

Annabeth snapped herself out of her reverie. "Yeah sure. You two go ahead, I'm coming," she said. Piper smiled and she and Hazel walked off, leaving Annabeth alone in the infirmary with Jason and Frank.

As they left, Annabeth turned to Jason. "Jason, I'm so sorry about what happened," she said honestly. Jason blushed, "Umm- Umm, its okay. No problem," he said graciously, though Annabeth suspected she'd made him a bit too awkward.

"Annabeth," she heard Frank say behind her. She turned around to face him, smiling. "I-I never really got a chance to apologise for- you know..." he trailed off. Now it was Annabeth's turn to feel awkward. "Its-its okay, Frank," she said soothingly, though she suspected the big guy beat himself up over this quite a bit. "It was my fault," she said. Frank smiled weakly at her, before yawning so big that a locomotive train could have entered his mouth.

"I should go," she said hastily and got up. The two boys smiled at her before she left, leaving Frank snoring and Jason staring at the ceiling.


	31. Chapter 31 (Piper)

**XXXI**

 **PIPER**

Piper and Hazel reached the dining pavilion. Soon, Annabeth joined them. As she plopped down onto the couch, she declared; "I'm famished! I haven't had anything but four cookies since yesterday." Piper laughed. She saw her friend coming back, as herself. No more was she the torn helpless girl she had been for a few days.

Piper saw several of the Hunters walking towards the dining pavilion. Thalia, seeing Annabeth, called out her name. Annabeth turned around to see her and leapt up, running to embrace her friend. The two of them hugged for several moments, before they separated. Thalia didn't say anything about Percy, which Piper was thankful for. She didn't want Annabeth crying again.

The Hunters sat with them at their table and dug into their food. Annabeth had ordered blue pancakes, one of Percy's favourite dishes. She wolfed them down, drowning them in syrup just as Percy had done in their days on the Argo II.

When they finished dinner, the three girls walked off towards the strawberry fields. Piper put an arm around both Annabeth and Hazel, who walked on either side of her. They sat down on the edge of the strawberries and looked up at the stars.

"We're gonna have to go after Gaius, Piper finally declared. "What's our plan?" Annabeth asked her. "I don't know," Piper admitted. She heard Hazel inhale deeply next to her. "What is it, Hazel?" she asked her. Hazel turned to face her. "Piper, I've been thinking for a while now. The only way we're going to be able to defeat Gaius is to let him defeat us."

Piper raised an eyebrow, "Not sure that's the best strategy," she said. "Whaddaya think, Annabeth? Your mom's the goddess of strategy, isn't she?" At the mention of her mother, Annabeth seemed to tense. Then she looked up and said, "Hazel, you want to do it like you did in the House of Hades?" Hazel nodded, "Right on, Wise Girl," she said.

Piper remembered how Hazel had beaten Päsiphae, the sorceress in the House of Hades by letting her think she was beating them. "But, Gaius knows how to manipulate the Mist," Piper protested. "So did Päsiphae. And so does Hazel," Annabeth stated. Piper couldn't argue with that logic.

"Well, Hazel," she said. "You better start practicing from now." Hazel nodded silently. As Piper sat looking at the stars, she felt the world transform. Suddenly, huge fireballs erupted out of the sky. They tumbled down towards the trio. Piper yelped in fear and got up and started running. Roots grew from the ground and grabbed her ankles, causing her to trip over and fall. She looked back and saw her friends similarly subdued. The roots crept over her body, squeezing the breath out of her. She felt a rib crack, and yelped in pain.

The fireballs were closer now. They suddenly halted, as if someone had yanked them back. A bluish glow circled them, and Piper realised the Athena Parthenos was stopping them. But for how long? Her question was answered when the glow suddenly cracked like glass and the fireball fell to the earth. It crashed next to her, its heat singeing her hair and burning her face. She screamed one last time as she felt herself die.

Piper transported back to the strawberry fields, still hysterically screaming. She still felt the pain of her bones breaking and her body burning, but there was no mark on her body. She looked up at Hazel, who looked back at her. Her eyes were twinkling and mischievous. "HAZEL LEVESQUE," Piper shouted. "IF YOU EVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN!"

Hazel turned up her palms and laughed. "I'm sorry," she admitted. "But was it realistic?" Annabeth groaned behind them. "Realistic? My body still hurts," she complained. Hazel laughed again. "Let's just hope it's enough to beat Gaius," she said.

That brought them all back to Earth. Piper realised that beating Gaius wouldn't be as easy as Hazel predicted, and that Hazel knew that as well. She knew Gaius would do his utmost to kill them all, and having Leo on his side would make it all the easier. Piper knew that, no matter how bad Leo had gone, she would have a hard time making a choice if it fell to her to stop him. Would she be able to kill him? It was a doubt she had been having for some time now, but had failed to answer.


	32. Chapter 32 (Jason)

**XXXII**

 **JASON**

Jason was falling. He couldn't tell from where he was falling, or how long he had been falling for. It was dark and he was unable to see anything. He felt the wind tug at his face, his clothes. His cheeks rippled due to the G-force, but there seemed to be no end to the fall. He tried summoning the winds to brace his fall, but nothing came.

A sinister voice laughed in the back of his head. "Jason Grace, I await you..." it said. Suddenly, a dim light burst into view. In its illumination, Jason made out a river flowing underneath him. He shut his eyes in anticipation as the river loomed up to meet him.

He crashed into the river at terminal velocity. He felt his body shatter into pieces and his bones break apart. He yelled in pain but no voice came out as his essence mixed into the water. Desperate, despairing voices pulled at him. _Why resist,_ they said. _Mortals who come here do not leave. Join us, and live here forever..._

"JASON! WAKE UP, MAN!" he heard a voice shouting. He struggled awake, shaking his head violently. Cold sweat beaded his face and his shirt was soaked. He was breathing heavily, his lungs heaving.

"Jason, you okay man?" he heard Frank say next to him. Frank was looking at him, a worried look on his face. "Yeah," Jason managed to croak. "What happened?" Frank asked him apprehensively. "Had a dream," Jason replied, his voice still hoarse.

Frank nodded in understanding. "You were thrashing like mad. You scared me," he admitted. Jason groaned. He'd been trying to keep his nightmares to a minimum, but he'd failed. Jason sat up in his bed, leaning his back on the pillow. "I wish they'd just let us out of this bloody place soon," he groaned. Frank nodded. "It gets boring just lying here," he said.

Jason heard a bustling in the entrance to the infirmary. He saw Will Solace, son of Apollo enter the cabin. Behind him trailed Nico. Were they- _holding hands?_ Nico hurriedly let go of Will's hand, eliciting a raised eyebrow. Turning to Jason, Will said, "You're free to go. Both of you. Thanks for saving my boyfriend's life."

Jason heard Frank splutter next to him. "Wait, wait, wait. Hold on just a minute," he said, holding up his hands. "You guys are-are..." he trailed off. Nico raised an eyebrow, a gesture mimicked by Will. "Are you a homophobe?" Will asked. Frank blushed. "Ummm, no. But..." "Out. Now." Will growled and pulled the covers off Frank.

Frank was up and out of the infirmary in a matter of seconds, followed by a chuckling Jason and an indignant Will. As they left the infirmary, Frank and Jason ran into the girls. Piper hugged Jason, knocking the wind out of him. She punched him playfully on the arm, a wide smile on her face. "Did you see Will and Nico? Hazel nearly had a seizure," she laughed. Jason looked over and saw Hazel desperately fanning herself with her hands, her dark cheeks redder than a tomato. Frank was trying to comfort her but was failing so far.

Annabeth was standing further back, looking slightly awkward. Jason saw a tear creep into her eye, but when she saw him looking she wiped it away and scowled at him. Jason smiled a reassuring smile at her.

Piper shoved him playfully, saying; "You ever run away again, you'll end up much worse." Jason laughed and hugged her tight. She leaned into his shirt; her head nestled in his neck. They stood there for a few moments when they heard a loud shout behind them. "OYE!" it shouted. "CUT THAT OUT!"

Frank groaned. "Is that who I think it is?" Jason released Piper and turned around to see a 5-foot tall person in an overly loud shirt marching over to them. He had a whistle hanging around his neck and a murderous look in his eyes.

"Coach Hedge?" Jason shouted. "YOU"RE RIGHT GRACE! AND YOU BETTER RUN OR I'M GONNA UPPERCUT YOU TO CONNECTICUT!" he shouted back. "Why, though?" Jason asked as the Coach approached. "PHYSICAL CONTACT, GRACE! TOO MUCH!"

Jason laughed but one look at the Coach's eyes told him he was angry. He quieted down, waiting for the Coach to say something. "Hey, Coach. Why so upset?" Piper asked him. Hedge's eyes roamed the five. "It's...nothing. Just that- bloody sea-boy. He's got the entire Camp on edge," he said. Jason shot a glance over at Annabeth, who was holding together surprisingly well. Before she could notice he was staring, Jason turned around and put an arm around the Coach. "Hey, Coach," he whispered."Not here, okay?"

Hedge shot an alarmed look over at Annabeth, then nodded understandingly. Jason smiled at him and the Coach turned around and walked off. Jason turned towards the others. "I'm famished," he declared, much to the acceptance of the others.

As they sat in the dining pavilion munching on food, Jason saw Thalia beckon to him. He got up and walked over to her, excusing himself. She looked grim but she smiled at Jason as he reached her. "Heard you were in the infirmary," she said. Jason nodded and told her about his, Frank and Nico's adventure.

When he finished talking, she looked away and but her lip. "What is it Thalia?" Jason asked worriedly. "Jason, I'm afraid for you," she said. Jason gently turned her head to look at him. "What do you mean?" he asked her. She looked him in the eye, a tear shining in hers. "Jason, I had a dream last night. I saw you tied to a tree. You had cuts and bruises all over you..." she trailed off, tears streaming down her face.

Jason cupped her face in his hands. "Hey, Thals. Nothing's gonna happen to me. It was just a dream," he comforted her. She hugged him, letting him hold her for a few moments. Then she broke away and wiped a tear from her eye. She smiled at him and said, "Take care of yourself, bro," and walked off.

Jason smiled at her retreating back and then returned to the dining pavilion. Piper gave him a quizzical look but he sent a silent message through his eyes; _not now._ She nodded and returned to chatting with the others. Jason was glad to see Annabeth recovering, but his mind was on what Thalia had said. He reverted back to when he had been sitting with Piper and the cabin had exploded. He remembered what the evil Percies had called him. _Sacrifice_.


	33. Chapter 33 (Nico)

**XXXIII**

 **NICO**

Nico walked out of the infirmary, following Will. He grabbed him by the hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Will smiled back at him, but he seemed preoccupied. "Hey, Will," Nico said. "You don't think I care about what they say?" Will looked back at him, a pained expression on his face. "No, but..." he trailed off. Nico smiled at him and then said, "I gotta go talk to someone. See you later." Will nodded and let go of Nico's hand.

Nico walked off to the Hades cabin, looking around to see if anyone was watching. He entered his cabin and walked silently to the darkest corner. He hadn't had any contact with his father, but his father's messenger had been coming and having talks with Nico.

As Nico sat in the darkness, he felt the temperature fall. He sensed the air turn still, and the darkness grow darker. As he watched, dark tendrils swam in the air and solidified into-

"Thanatos," Nico said blandly. The god of Death looked up at Nico and smiled. He was a beautiful man, no other adjective leapt to the mind. His face had regal features, and his eyes were cold. On his back were a pair of folded wings, adding to the angelic look he had. But this was no angel.

"Nico di Angelo," Thanatos replied, equally blandly. "Nico, you know that Olympus was attacked two days ago. Your father's condition has worsened, as has that of all the Olympians. I still have no knowledge of the Jackson boy," he admitted, turning up his palms.

Nico's face fell. He hadn't been expecting any news about Percy, but at-least it would've brought closure. "Are you sure he's not in the Underworld?" Nico asked earnestly. Thanatos shook his head. "But, there are other things that deal with Death as well, Nico," he said. Nico raised his eyebrow. "I have been forbidden from going to Poseidon's palace, as have all others. But, my sisters, the _Keres_ , have been known to defy the gods. And Percy's death is most suited to their domain," he finished.

Nico grimaced. The _Keres_ were the spirits of violent Death, of those killed in battle or disease. They would tear the flesh from the corpse and carry it off to the Underworld. But if Percy wasn't in the Underworld, then that meant they hadn't gotten to him yet.

"So, is there a chance he's still alive?" Nico asked, hoping against hope. Thanatos stroked his chin, his dark eyes scanning Nico. "No," he said finally. "Even if his soul is not in the Underworld, his body has been destroyed, burnt completely. I only hope his soul finds its way to the Underworld soon. It's not an easy world for the spirit of a demigod out here."

Nico's face fell again. Thanatos seemed to notice, because he put a hand on Nico's shoulder. "Son of Hades," he said softly. "You have lost more than most I have known. But, you must remain strong. This, Gaius, he will not be an easy opponent," he finished.

Nico inclined his head. "Thank you," he muttered, uncomfortable with the unfamiliar words. "And, would you please send my regards to my father," he choked out the words he'd never thought he'd say. Thanatos raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. He nodded his head ever so slightly and then dissolved back into the inky darkness.

After Thanatos left, Nico walked out of the cabin. As he walked towards the archery range where Will had gone, he fell to thinking of the times he and Percy had shared. He remembered when Percy and Annabeth were falling into Tartarus, how Percy had made him promise to lead the others to the 'other side'. Even though he had fulfilled that promise, he couldn't help but think that he had failed Percy. Being a child of the Underworld, he should have felt someone's death approaching.

He shrugged off his thoughts. It wasn't healthy, thinking like that. He had soon reached the archery range, where Frank and Will were having an intense archery match. Despite being a son of Apollo, Will was no match for Frank. After their quivers had been exhausted, the two shook hands. Will smiled when he saw Nico and walked over to him, his face beaded with sweat. "Did you just challenge Frank to a match?" Nico smirked. "Nah, we just sort of, played," Will said.

Nico and Will walked through the Camp, looking around at the buildings. "What's wrong, Nico?" Will suddenly asked, turning to face Nico. Nico raised an eyebrow. "What?" he asked suspiciously. "You've been acting strange lately," Will said. "And don't say it's because of Percy," Will said holding up his hand when Nico was about to protest.

"You've been talking to someone, haven't you?" Will said, his eyes narrowing. Nico swallowed. How could Will know? "I heard you talking to someone when I was waiting for you outside your cabin," he said, as if he had heard Nico's silent question. Nico lowered his eyes.

"Yes," he confessed. "But don't ask me who it is. And, please, don't eavesdrop on me again." Will seemed disappointed with the answer but nodded. He took Nico's hand and they walked off towards the pavilion.


	34. Chapter 34 (Frank)

**XXXIV**

 **FRANK**

Frank picked up his bow and quiver. Though he'd told Will it had been difficult, the son of Apollo had been no match for Frank. He morphed his quiver into backpack form and wandered off, looking for Hazel.

He found her walking into the woods. She was with Piper, Annabeth and Jason. "Hazel!" Frank called and she looked back and gestured to him hurriedly. Frank jogged over to them. "What's the problem?" he asked.

"Nyssa called us. Says she's got something to show us," Jason sighed across. Frank nodded and they started walking back into the woods towards Bunker Nine. As they neared it, Frank heard the sounds of metal clanging against metal and shouts. He tensed but realised it was sounds from the workshop.

They emerged from the forest into a clearing where Bunker Nine stood. It was a majestic place, bigger than any of the cabins in the Camp. People teemed about it, all of them Hephaestus campers. Nyssa came walking over to them; a smile plastered on her face, followed by Malcolm, a son of Athena. "Jason, wait till you see what we have for you," she said excitedly. "Thanks to Malcolm's help," she patted him on the shoulder before continuing; "We were able to repair Festus' control disk."

"So, you're saying..." Jason started before a huge roar deafened them all. "Yup!" Nyssa beamed. "He's back." A smile broke out on Frank's face as he saw Festus emerge from the depths of the Bunker. Festus' bronze skin glowed in the sunlight, his ruby eyes glittering. Sunlight glinted off rows of sharp Celestial Bronze teeth, and steam billowed from his nostrils. His wings unfurled, and he turned to look at them.

"We rigged up a net over his back," Nyssa began. "It has seating capacity for 6 people. You won't fall off, I guarantee you," she added when she saw Hazel's frightened expression. Frank squinted up at Festus despite the glare of the sun. Celestial Bronze shields ringed the netting where the people would sit.

"I just need to add a few more things," Nyssa said, wiping her grimy hands on her overalls; "and he'll be all ready for you by tomorrow."

Frank looked over at Jason. Jason looked back at him and they made eye contact. The two of them nodded at each other. They knew what they had to do. They had to sneak out again. Although Frank dreaded leaving the girls behind, he knew that he couldn't let them come to harm. He was responsible for Hazel's safety, and he couldn't fail.

They inspected Festus for a while longer, then they turned around and left, walking back to the camp. As they walked, Hazel leaned against Frank, nestling her head on his shoulder. He squeezed her arm tightly, pulling her closer. They soon reached the cabins and separated.

Frank entered the Ares cabin. He walked over to his bunk and pulled his quiver/backpack off his back. He zipped it open and began sifting through its contents. He let the bottle of nectar and a pack of ambrosia remain in the bag, but took the rest out. He placed a small dagger inside it, though he didn't know why. He didn't like close-quarters fighting.

Hazel kept looking at him at dinner that day. It unnerved Frank, thought he tried his best to pretend he didn't notice. Once or twice he found the look in her eyes almost hungry, as that of someone trying to memorise the look of someone else in their mind forever. Frank shovelled down his food, then excused himself and walked back to his cabin, sliding his backpack under his bunk and lying down on the bed. He pulled the sheets over himself and soon fell into a deep sleep, preparing himself for what he was to do the next day.

When Frank was going to the dining pavilion for breakfast the next morning, he decided to take a small detour. He walked through the woods towards Bunker Nine to see how ready Festus was. As he walked, he marvelled at his own stupidity. He'd barely survived last time he'd gone after Gaius without Hazel, yet here he was preparing to do it again.

Frank emerged into the clearing, the sudden sunlight momentarily blinding him. He found Nyssa and the other Hephaestus kids teeming around the Bunker, already hard at work. As she saw Frank walking towards the Bunker, Nyssa beckoned him over. Frank strolled up to her. "What's up?" she asked him, smiling at him. "I'm good, what about you?" Frank asked her back. "Fine," she replied. But Frank could see the bags under her eyes, and the redness of the eyes themselves.

"Must be difficult here, without Leo," Frank said sympathetically, choking on Leo's name. Nyssa nodded; her face suddenly grim. "Yup," she croaked. "He was a big help. He was more than that, he was like a brother. To the whole camp."

Frank nodded; he understood what she was saying. Leo had been the glue holding together the team. But now he was gone, and Frank had to keep reminding himself he probably wasn't going to come back.

"How's Festus doing," Frank suddenly asked, snapping out of his reverie. "He's fine," Nyssa beamed, glad to have something to talk about. "I've put on the remaining things that were left. I have a feeling you'll like them," she finished. She walked over to the interior of the warehouse, beckoning to Frank to follow her. Frank trundled after her, waiting to see what Festus had become.

Nyssa had fitted a series of small crossbows all over Festus' back, so they could be fired by the six people Festus was holding. Under his knees were pouches that seemed to contain vials of Greek fire, and Frank was sure no-one wanted to face that. Overall, Nyssa had made Festus into a lean, mean, killing machine.

"Nice work, Nyssa," Frank said, and he meant it. Nyssa smiled at him, genuinely pleased at the praise. "I'll see you around later then," Frank said before turning around and walking back towards the dining pavilion.

While he was walking, Frank suddenly stumbled over something next to one of the trees. Putting out his hands to steady himself, he saw the earth rush up to meet him. He groaned and rolled over, brushing the dirt from his face. "Annabeth," he said incredulously, as he saw her propped up against the tree. She looked over at him, tears in her eyes.

"Sorry, Frank," she said weakly. "I didn't think anyone would come here." Frank rose to his feet, walking over to Annabeth. "Hey, you okay?" Frank asked her tenderly. She nodded, but Frank could see she was still crying. "Hey, is it Percy?" Frank asked gingerly. She nodded and suddenly buried her face in Frank's shirt, sobbing. Frank had hoped she'd been getting better; but he realised the loss of Percy would haunt her like this the rest of her life.

"Hey, hey. Shh...shh," he said comfortingly, trying to get her to stop. Her crying made him uncomfortable too. He held her by the shoulders and slowly raised her to her feet. He awkwardly put his arms around her and embraced her. Annabeth could evidently sense his awkwardness as she broke away and said in a hushed voice, "Thanks, Frank."

Frank smiled at her comfortingly. "So, wanna go get some breakfast? I'm starving," he said. She nodded, but before Frank could turn around, she grabbed his hand. "Frank?" she said in a small voice. "Yeah?" he said. "Please don't tell anyone about this," she pleaded, wiping the tears from her eyes. He nodded and smiled, and the two of them walked out of the woods and went to the pavilion.

 **Hey, what's up beloved readers? I won't be updating very often as my IGCSEs are starting in 3 days, so please be patient. Sorry for the inconvenience and I hope you keep reading.**


	35. Chapter 35 (Jason)

**XXXV**

 **JASON**

Jason had gotten to the dining pavilion just in time to see Frank and Annabeth arrive. He and Frank shared a look, careful not to let anyone else see. When their food came, they sat down next to the girls who were already munching.

"You coming, Jason?" Piper asked as she stood up with her plate to scoop the scraps into the brazier for the Olympians' sacrifice. "You go ahead," he managed to mumble. "I'm coming." She nodded and left; a perplexed expression on her face at Jason's reply. Hazel stood up and walked after Piper as well, followed by Annabeth. Frank and Jason were left alone on the table.

"When?" Jason mumbled to Frank, low enough so no-one else would hear. "In an hour," Frank mumbled back through mouthfuls of food, glancing from side to side to see if anyone was watching. "Are you ready?" he asked Jason, meeting his eyes. Jason didn't trust himself to answer. He knew he had to do this, yet he still felt unsure after what had happened last time he'd gone out without Piper. Frank kept staring at him; his forkful of omelette paused halfway to his mouth. Finally, Jason nodded. He saw Frank breathe out in relief and Frank smiled weakly at him. "In an hour, then," Frank said and got up with his plate to take to the brazier.

Jason walked over to the fire and scraped some bacon and egg off his plate into it. _If you can hear me, dad_ , he thought deeply. _Help us out._ He stepped back from the brazier and walked out of the pavilion before he did anything he'd regret.

He went back to his cabin after excusing himself because of a headache. The good thing about the Zeus cabin was that he was alone in there, so he didn't have to be secretive. He threw open a backpack and started putting things he'd need in there. A dagger, back-up glasses, ( _Hey, you never know when you need those_ ) and (for some weird reason he couldn't put his finger on) one of the Kymopoleia action-figurines. He heard someone walking towards the cabin and hurriedly stuffed his bag under his bunk. He jumped under the covers himself and closed his eyes, playing the sick kid.

"Hey, Jason," he heard a soft voice say. He opened his eyes slowly to see Piper standing at the entrance to the cabin. "Hey, Pipes," he said as weakly as he could fake. "Just wanted to see how you were doing," she said, walking over to him and sitting on the bed. Jason kept his sick-face on as best he could. "I'm- I'm great. Just feel kinda useless lying here," he said. Piper nodded and smiled at him, but he could see the smile wasn't in her eyes. She was upset about something. And the way she was looking at Jason, almost hungrily.

"You okay, Pipes?" he asked warily. She shook her head, realising she'd been staring. "Yeah, yeah. I'm just fine," she said. Jason didn't believe her, she was acting sorta suspicious. Before Jason could voice his suspicions, Piper set her head down on his chest, humming slightly. "I love you, Jason," she said suddenly. Jason sat up. It wasn't like Piper to suddenly blurt out something like this.

He lifted her chin up to make her look into his eyes. "I- I love you too, Pipes," he said. "But why are you acting so stra..." Before he could finish, Piper had pulled him into a kiss, forcing the breath out of him. She held it for a moment then let go of him, running out of the cabin; leaving an extremely breathless Jason lying in the bunk.

Jason lay back down, totally confused. Piper had only kissed him a few times before, and never so suddenly. He wondered what had gotten into his girlfriend and why she was acting so weird. Jason heard someone clear their throat in the entrance of the cabin. Frank was standing there, blushing profusely. "Umm, if you're done," he started. "Let's go." Jason rose to his feet, slightly embarrassed that Frank had seen him kissing Piper.

Jason gathered up his backpack and he and Frank walked out of the cabin warily, careful not to let anyone see them. They walked towards the woods, where they'd find Festus and they'd be able to leave and get Gaius.

As they entered the woods, Jason had a feeling someone was following them. "Frank," he whispered. "Get ready to fight." Frank tensed up, his muscles flexing ever so slightly as he prepared to rip any monster in their way in half. Jason heard the footsteps of the person behind them increase in volume. He pulled his sword out in a whirlwind motion and swung it behind him. "Nico?" Jason asked incredulously.

Nico warily touched the blade of the sword with his finger and casually moved it down from his neck. "You guys aren't leaving without me," he said eerily. "Dang, di Angelo," Frank swore from behind Jason. "How do you always know where we are and what we're doing?" A wry smile crept to Nico's face. "Shall we go on?" he said without acknowledging Frank's question.

Jason nodded and sheathed his _gladius_. The trio began walking towards Bunker Nine again, Jason listening out for any noise. They emerged into the clearing where Bunker Nine was located. "Someone's here," Nico whispered darkly from beside Jason. He pulled out his Stygian iron sword, the black blade giving Jason the creeps. Jason pulled out his own _gladius_ while Frank morphed his backpack into a bow. "No-one should be here," Jason hissed. "It's almost lunchtime."

"You think I'd pull out my sword for some random campers," Nico hissed back, holding out his sword in front of Jason to emphasise his point. Jason steadied his glasses and they walked on warily towards the entrance of the Bunker. Jason could hear noises inside, not that of a forge operating at full force, but of a few people moving about as silently as they could.

 _CRRUNCH!_ Jason looked down under his feet and saw gravel. He cursed himself for being so careless. Nico gave a dark glare to Jason while Frank winced at the noise. The noises from inside ceased. "Sorry," Jason whispered. Nico suddenly ran into the forge, wielding his sword. Jason rushed in after him. He heard a sickening _CLANG!_ and saw Nico fall on the ground as a metal bar hit him in the stomach. "NICO!" Jason shouted and rounded the corner from behind which Nico had been struck. He ducked down to dodge any bars meant for him. He jumped headlong into a tackle and felt a grim satisfaction as he hit something soft. He heard a loud "OOF!" as whomever he had hit had the breath forced out of them.

He raised his sword to where he felt the person's chin was and held it there. The message was clear. _Move, and you're dead_. The inside of the Bunker was dark, and his eyes were taking time to adjust. He patted down the person underneath him to check if they had any weapons.

No weapons, but he felt something soft and fleshy. "HEY! KNOCK IT OUT, CREEP!" a familiar voice shouted back at him. Jason felt a rough sword appear at his neck. "Move, and you're dead," a familiar voice growled.

"You okay, Pipes?" the same voice spoke worriedly. "Yeah," the voice from under Jason came. "Just get this creep off me, he was feeling me up."

Jason felt his cheeks heat up as he was pulled roughly to his feet. "Pi..." he began to say before a fist barrelled into him and knocked him flat on the ground. "Pervert," the voice growled at him.

Jason recognised the voice with a flash. "Annabeth?" he groaned uncertainly. "Jason?" she said back, recognising his voice. "Hazel, get the light." A blinding light flashed on, causing Jason to shut his eyes in pain. He heard Annabeth let out a sigh of relief. "You idiot!" she shrieked. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Jason put two and two together. Piper had been acting so weird because she, too was sneaking out and she didn't know if she'd ever see Jason again. "Same as you," Jason groaned, massaging his jaw where Annabeth had punched him. Jason's eyes had adjusted by now. He looked over at Piper. She was deliberately avoiding eye contact with him, her cheeks flushed. "Umm, sorry?" Jason mumbled to her, blushing. Her face turned an even darker shade of red and she looked away pointedly.

Jason heard Annabeth start laughing silently and looked up at her in embarrassment. "Jason?" a voice called from far. "It clear yet?" Frank. "Yup, it's clear man," Jason called back. Frank rounded the corner warily, holding his bow ahead of him. "Whoa, what are you three doing here?" he asked when he saw the three girls there. "Jason, you alright? You're redder than a tomato," he noticed, adding to Jason's embarrassment.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he groaned back while struggling to his feet. "Looks like di Angelo's out for the count," Frank observed, seeing Nico's unconscious form lying on the floor.

"As to what we're doing here, same as you guys," Hazel spoke up suddenly, looking at Frank. "I can't let you go," Frank said, looking sternly at Hazel. Annabeth raised her drakon-bone sword and pointed it at Frank. "Try to stop us," she growled. Jason expected Frank to cower under Annabeth's fiery glare, but he stood his ground. "I'm not letting Hazel go," Frank grunted, staring down the length of Annabeth's sword.

"And I'm not going without her," Annabeth stated calmly. "Then you're not going at all," Frank growled back. "Don't make me knock you out, Frank," Annabeth said back, almost pleadingly.

Jason was meanwhile watching the exchange with intense confusion. He wasn't sure whom he admired more right now. Frank had never been so stern. Yet Annabeth was willing to go without any help from the guys to avenge her boyfriend. "A compromise, then," Jason declared, walking into the potential fray. "We all go."

Frank glared angrily at Jason. "If you think I'm letting my girlfriend go anywhere near that murderer, Jason, you've got another thing coming." Hazel suddenly stepped in. Placing a soothing hand on Frank's face. "I'm not just your girlfriend, Frank. I'm one of the Heroes of Olympus, I'm one of the seven. You can't stop me, Frank."

Jason admired her bravery. Jason saw Frank loosen in surrender. His arms sunk, and he looked down at the floor. "Alright," he mumbled, though Jason knew he was extremely reluctant.

"Let's go then," Piper declared rising to her feet, still not looking directly at Jason.

A few minutes later, Festus walked out of Bunker Nine, 6 demigods on his back. Nico was tied to his seat, his head lolling. Jason and Piper sat on one side, whilst Annabeth, Frank and Hazel were on the other side. Festus rose up on his forelegs and bellowed a war-cry. His huge wings flapped once, twice, before he lifted off, rising into the sky; the sun glinting off his body.


	36. Chapter 36 (Nico)

**XXXVI**

 **NICO**

Nico woke up tied to a huge bronze dragon zooming through the air. He wasn't sure exactly when he stopped screaming and recovered from the initial shock. The last thing he remembered was running into Bunker Nine and straight into an outstretched metal bar. His head was smarting, but he'd taken a bit of ambrosia to soothe the pain.

"WHERE ARE WE HEADED?" he shouted over the roar of the wind. "SAN JACINTO!" Jason shouted back. "NO!" Nico shouted. He'd had a conversation with Thanatos again yesterday. The god of Death had told him where Gaius planned to carry out his next attack. "WE HAVE TO HEAD TO RIO!" he shouted back at Jason.

Jason raised a sceptical eyebrow at him. "ARE YOU SURE? WHY WOULD HE DO IT IN BRAZIL?" "JUST TRUST ME!" Nico shouted back. Jason nodded and shouted something to Festus. The bronze dragon clacked and groaned, and slowly began turning left. Nico's head spun as he saw an entire freeway below him. He gritted his teeth to keep the bile from creeping up his throat and closed his eyes. He heard familiar screaming from Festus' other side and realised poor Hazel was suffering from her age-old motion-sickness.

They had to stop after 6 hours of flying. The sun had set and visibility was low. Festus circled above the city, finding a safe spot to land. He set down in the middle of an old abandoned cafe. As soon as Festus landed, Nico untied his harness and fell on the ground, trying to ease his aching limbs. He hadn't been able to move them properly for six hours. He saw Jason stumble off Festus, and then walk over to help Piper struggle off of him. "HELP!" came a cry from Festus' other side. Nico ran over to see Frank cradling an unconscious Hazel in his arms. There was vomit on the floor. Nico placed a tender hand on her brow. She was sweaty and hot. "It's just a slight fever; the motion sickness. She'll be out for a few hours," he said before gesturing to Frank to lay her on one of the cafe tables.

This place looked familiar. Nico looked around and with a flash realised where he was. "I've been here before," he stated calmly. But the last time he'd been with a satyr, a praetor and a forty-foot tall statue. "Really?" Piper asked interestedly from beside him. Nico nodded, looking around the cafe. "Reyna, Hedge and I were transporting the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood. Her sister, Hylla, pulled us off course and we landed here," he finished. His eyes were still scanning the walls, as though he expected Amazons to dart him again.

"Something's wrong," Jason said from beside him, suddenly alert. Nico felt it too. There was a strange _sloshing_ sound coming from somewhere behind him. Nico stood up and walked over to the edge of the cafe's railing. There was a view of the sea from there. But what really caught Nico's eye was the humongous trireme floating in the sea. And by humongous he meant, like, three times the _Argo II_. It was churning the water around it, making the small fishing boats look like mosquitoes in front of an elephant.

"Gaius," Jason growled from beside him. Nico followed his stare and saw a figure standing next to one of the railings. The ship was moving fast, within a few minutes it would have passed from their sight, obscured by the cliff. "We need to get on that ship," Nico said, his teeth gritted in anger. "Why doesn't Poseidon just flip the thing over?" Piper asked beside him.

"It's because he can't," Annabeth suddenly spoke up. Nico jumped up, he hadn't heard her arrive at the railing. "Courtesy of me," Annabeth added sheepishly. Piper groaned. "So we'll really have to go aboard?" Jason nodded beside her. "Yup. We're going." "Hazel's still unconscious," Frank spoke up from behind them. "Frank, you stay here and watch over Hazel," Jason barked out, immediately shifting smoothly into leader-mode. "The rest of us go and get that son of a bitch."

Nico raised an eyebrow at Jason's use of the word. "Language, Jason," Annabeth joked from beside him. Jason turned around and stalked over to Festus. Nico, Piper and Annabeth followed him over and strapped themselves in securely. "FESTUS,GO!" Jason shouted and Festus rose in the air, his wings flapping as he gained altitude. He did a 180 and began flying out to sea, following Gaius' ship.


	37. Chapter 37 (Piper)

**XXXVII**

 **PIPER**

Piper's hair blew into her face as Festus took off and started flying after Gaius' ship. Piper couldn't wait to give that scumbag a good punch in the face, or maybe a kick in the family jewels. As they neared the ship, Jason tapped her shoulder. "PIPES, ONCE WE GET ALONGSIDE, FIRE ON THE SHIP USING THOSE CROSSBOWS!" Piper nodded, and turned her attention to the nearest crossbow. She pulled it over to her and began looking for the ship. Its outline came into view in the dark sky.

"NOW!" Jason shouted from beside her. She pulled the trigger and a vial of Greek Fire shot out and hit the ship on its side. Green flames leapt out into the sky and the ship keeled over for a second. The ship righted itself soon enough, and alarms started blaring all over. She heard Jason fire beside her and more green flames erupted on the ship. The ship's inhabitants were in panic. Piper saw men with guns running along the gangways and taking shots at Festus. Jason summoned the winds and the bullets deflected harmlessly away from them.

"FESTUS! GET US OVER THE SHIP!" she heard Nico shout from the other side. Festus clacked and groaned but veered left towards the ship. Piper saw the ship loom closer. She heard whistles like those of bombs and saw tongues of flame leap up from the ship. Apparently, Festus had been converted into a bomber, too.

Festus landed on an empty area of the ship. Jason flew (literally) out of his harness, stabbing a guard in mid-air. Piper fumbled with her harness and burst out, unsheathing her dagger _Katoptris_ with a flourish. She heard a battle-cry from the other side as Annabeth and Nico leapt into the fray. A man burst out in front of Piper. She slashed out with her dagger and cut a deep gash into the man's face. He screamed out in pain and dropped to the floor, his gun falling from his hands. Piper kicked the gun away and ran on. She heard sounds of fighting all around her. As she rounded a corner, she saw five men standing in front of her.

 _So this is how Piper McLean dies. Runs straight into a group of five men with assault rifles_. Fortunately, it was not to be. A sword cut through one man, and sliced through another. Jason appeared behind the stabbed man. "GO!" he shouted at Piper while he swung his sword around at the others, cutting their weapons in half. As Piper ran, she couldn't help thinking ; _gods, she loved her boyfriend_.

Piper was getting exhausted by the time she reached the prow of the boat. At it, standing as calmly as if it were a pleasure cruise, stood Gaius. He didn't appear to notice Piper's arrival, but if he did, he didn't show it. Piper clutched her dagger tightly. She tip-toed over to Gaius, ready to stab him from behind. She struck – and missed.

Gaius seemed to vanish before her eyes. Her momentum carried her forward and she tripped over the rail. _So_ this _is how Piper Mclean would die. Fall in the sea and get crushed by the Titanic 2.0_. But that was not to be either. A hand grabbed her wrist before she could fall down. "JASON!" she shouted, panicked. "PULL ME UP!" A low, cold laugh sounded from behind her. "I'm not Jason," it stated calmly as if reading the weather report. Piper looked up and saw Gaius' cruel features looking back at her. She screamed and writhed, willing to drown in the sea rather than get touched by this creep.

Gaius yanked her up, his immense strength causing her to fly over the rail and hit the floor. She struggled up but Gaius was already there. He kicked her in the stomach, _hard_. She doubled over, gasping and wheezing in pain. He grabbed her by the chin and pulled her to her feet. With his free hand, he struck her across the face, drawing blood. She shrieked in pain. Hopefully, Jason would hear the sound and come to her rescue.

She felt Gaius stuff a cloth in her mouth. She struggled to breathe, his kick having knocked the air out of her lungs. She felt a blade appear at her back, pressing into it. "You wouldn't want to get cut by this, dear Piper," he snarled into her ear. "So I suggest you keep moving." Prodded forward by Gaius, Piper stumbled over the floor. She felt like cursing herself. She should have used her charmspeak right away, but then it hadn't worked back at Camp Half-Blood.

Gaius forced her onto the gangway, his knife still pressing against the small of her back. Tears were streaming down her eyes now, as she tried not to move too much to avoid the knife. As she rounded a bend, she breathed a sigh of relief. Jason stood there, fighting against another man with a sword. He stabbed the man and he fell, leaving Jason surrounded by bodies. "GRACE!" Gaius shouted right in Piper's ear. She winced at the loudness. Jason turned around to face them. At the sight of Piper his jaw fell and his sword hand dropped.

Piper heard a loud clang to her right. Twisting her head to look, she saw Annabeth struggling off the floor as a man stood with his gun raised to hit her again. Blood coated her arms, and a few trickles ran down her neck. "PIPER!" she shouted and began running towards Gaius before the man hit her with the gun again, causing her to fall.

"NICO, NO!" Jason suddenly shouted, raising his hand to Piper's left. Piper twisted to see Nico advancing towards the two of them with his sword drawn in hand. At Jason's shout, he looked up surprised; giving Gaius enough time to punch him between the eyes. Nico fell to the floor, groaning and holding his nose.

"Jason Grace, I am disappointed," Gaius said cruelly as his guards dragged Nico to his feet. "You have become a murderer." Piper looked at Jason's dripping sword, his blood-stained clothes, and the angry expression on his face. Though she'd never admit it, she agreed with Gaius. Jason was never like this before; he'd never kill if he could help it.

"Says the man who wants to kill all Olympus," Jason growled back at him. Gaius laughed. "Your naivety amuses me, Grace. Join me, and we can have our revenge on our parents, for leaving us so cruelly in this dark world. Join me, and we can make it better." Despite herself, Piper felt his words taking hold. She shook her head violently and lashed out with her legs.

Gaius kneed her in her back – hard. She gasped for air as best as she could through the gag as tears welled in her eyes in pain. "PIPER!" Jason shouted and began to run forward but stopped abruptly when Gaius put his blade on Piper's neck. "STOP RIGHT THERE, GRACE!" Gaius shouted out. "UNLESS YOU WANT HER BLOOD ALL OVER YOUR HANDS!"

Jason retreated backwards, dropping his sword. He held out his palms pleadingly. "Please, please let her go," he said pathetically. Tears had crept into his eyes. Piper wanted to scream at him, for giving up so easily. She looked at him, defiance clear in her eyes, but he remained in his pleading position.

Jason sank to his knees, overwhelmed by emotion. Piper heard Gaius chuckle behind her, a low sound that chilled her to the bone. Her back still hurt, and it took all her effort trying to stand upright. She felt the knife move from her throat as Gaius used his hand to motion to two guards who jogged over to Jason and hauled him up.

"Drake," Gaius barked. "Here, hold her." He pushed her into the arms of another man who promptly placed a pistol next to her head. _Guns,_ Piper thought, _so uncivilised_. Gaius walked over to Jason, who was now being held upright. Tears still streaked his face, but his jaw was set in determination. _A bit late for that,_ she thought to herself.

Gaius wound up his fist and punched Jason in the face. His glasses flew off with the force of the blow and left him with a bleeding gash on his lip. Gaius punched him in the stomach, before punching him on the other side of the face, going all Rocky Balboa on him. Piper shrieked and screamed, but her voice was muffled by the gag. Jason was barely standing now, the guards holding him up now more than holding him back.

"Hey, asshole!" Piper heard a shout from her side. Annabeth stood defiantly, despite her hands held behind her back by a man twice her size. "Leave him alone!" she shouted. Gaius laughed, walking over to her. "Why, so that I can hit you?" he asked sarcastically. Annabeth spat in his face, causing him to reel backwards. Rage crept into Gaius' face. Annabeth might have had her moment of defiance, but she was gonna pay for it.

He backhanded her straight across the face, swearing as he did it. Piper shrieked and screamed again, but her voice was muffled by the gag. Drake tutted behind her, pressing the muzzle of the gun harder into her head.

"Sir!" Piper heard someone call from the terrace of the upper floor. Gaius looked up at him quizzically. "We're approaching Brazil," the man shouted back. A cruel smile lit up Gaius' face. "Drake, would you get our sacrifices ready?"


	38. Chapter 38 (Frank)

**XXXVIII**

 **FRANK**

Frank hated seeing the others fly off to battle Gaius and get all the glory while he was stuck back here. But he had promised himself no harm would come to Hazel, and so he was here. Hazel hadn't stirred since the others had left, leaving Frank to pace the cafe.

Something felt wrong. Maybe the fact that Festus hadn't returned yet. Or maybe the fact that a knife had suddenly appeared at Frank's neck.

"Stay still, or breathe your last, _boy_ ," a voice spoke from behind him, spitting out the last word as if it were a curse. He felt hands grab him by the neck and force him down. He struggled but the hands were too strong, even for him. "HAZEL!" he shouted before he felt something hard hit his head and he blacked out.

Frank woke up tied to a chair and a cloth bag over his head. He struggled but the bonds were too tight. He strained his ears to hear if anyone else was in the room, but from the silence he decided he was alone. An uncomfortable tightness was present around his neck and, with a shock, Frank realised he was collared. He growled at the humiliation.

As he struggled, Frank realised he might be able to transform into something small to escape. He focused hard and felt his body change. His arms melted into his torso and his legs gelled into one. His neck elongated and scales erupted on his skin. He slithered out of the collar and cloth bag and over to the door. He transformed back into a human and opened the door from inside. Apparently, they hadn't thought he'd be able to escape.

No such luck. Outside the door, an armoured girl with a spear in hand was standing guard. Frank groaned inwardly. _Amazons_. They'd already kidnapped him before, along with Percy and Hazel. Did they have no end to their kidnappings?

The girl whirled around and shouted when she saw Frank. She ran towards him, spear outstretched. As fast as he was, the spear grazed Frank's shoulder. He winced in pain but grabbed the spear and forced it into the ground. The girl wielding the spear was propelled forward and landed in a pile of empty cartons.

Before she could react, Frank began running in the opposite direction. He didn't have his bow with him; they evidently kept it somewhere more secure. _Damn Amazons_ , Frank thought to himself as he ran. Suddenly, three more Amazons rounded the corner ahead of him, holding bows but they hadn't nocked arrows yet. Frank kept on running and barrelled straight into them. He groaned in pain as his injured shoulder made contact.

Frank sent the three Amazons sprawling. As he struggled to get up, he heard a familiar voice shout, "FRANK!" Turning around, he saw Hazel running towards him, along with another woman he recognised. "Queen Hylla," Frank said through gritted teeth as she neared him. "Frank Zhang," the queen responded with a slight bow of her head. Hazel helped Frank to her feet as the three Amazons he had collided with struggled up.

"Why was I captured?" Frank growled at Hylla. "We needed to talk to Hazel," she responded calmly. "YOU DON"T JUST KIDNAP SOMEONE IF YOU WANT TO TALK TO THEM!" Frank shouted out. He felt a sword appear at his neck. "Angela, don't be silly. Put that down," Hylla said as calmly as if Frank hadn't just shouted at her.

"You're free to go now, Zhang. And you, Hazel," Hylla said, turning to Hazel with a smile. "I need my bow," Frank snarled. One of the girls behind him handed him his backpack and bow. Hazel whistled behind him. He turned around in confusion. Nothing happened.

Then suddenly, a blur tore through the warehouse. It slid to a stop in front of Hazel. _Arion_. Hazel stroked the horse's snout lovingly and Arion nickered. She bent down and summoned a gold nugget from the ground and fed it to Arion.

"Ready, Frank?" Hazel said teasingly from Arion's side. Arion pawed the ground as if to say, _Yeah, can you handle me?_ Frank gulped. "I'd rather just fly..." he trailed off. He heard the Amazons behind him start snickering and he steeled himself. "Never mind," he muttered and climbed onto Arion's back behind Hazel.

Hazel raised a hand to Hylla, a gesture she mimicked. Hazel patted Arion's flank and whispered something to him. Arion whinnied and galloped out of the warehouse. Frank shut his eyes and shoved his face into Hazel's back, not trusting himself to keep his breakfast in. He could feel air rushing by him and the G-force pulling his cheeks back. He felt a change in Arion's running and looked down and saw- the sea. He shoved his face back into Hazel's back.

As they rode, Frank realised it was past noon. And judging that he'd been kidnapped just after dusk...Jason and the others had been alone for nearly 20 hours!

"Frank!" Hazel shouted from ahead of him. He gingerly raised his head. "Yeah?" he managed to say. "There are two huge ships ahead!" _Two?_ Frank sat up and saw that she was right. Alongside the first ship they'd seen, there was another one. Frank's heart leapt when he saw it. It was the _Argo II_ , only way bigger and more sinister. Cannons and _ballistae_ lined the deck and the hull, whilst the sails were with emblazoned with an image of an Omega sign broken in half. Both ships seemed to be still. And ahead of them, sprawled the entire city of Rio de Janeiro. And above the city, loomed the 38 meter tall statue of Christ, the Redeemer.

Arion raced towards the ships. "That one!" Frank shouted, pointing to the one he'd seen earlier. Arion whinnied and drew alongside the ship. He scampered up its hull as if it were horizontal, making Frank grab him and scream. As soon as Arion stopped, Hazel jumped off, her spatha in hand. Frank morphed his backpack back into a quiver and began following Hazel.

"Where did that other ship come from?" Hazel asked as she ran across the deck. "I don't know," Frank replied, a bit wary as they hadn't come across any guards yet.

"WAIT!" Hazel suddenly shouted and stuck out her hand. Frank stopped in mid-step and flailed his arms as he tried to step back. He looked to Hazel questioningly but she seemed intent on the empty space ahead of them. She reached out a hand and waved it. Ripples spread out in the air, something Frank had thought he'd never see. As the ripples cleared, Frank realised there were indeed guards on the ship. About a dozen of them stood right there with their guns pointed at straight at Frank and Hazel's chest.

He heard Hazel curse beside him. He pushed her behind him but the guards weren't making any threatening move. Frank warily began moving his hand towards the quiver but all of a sudden the guards collectively cocked their rifles and aimed them at Frank again. Frank dropped his hand. He and the guards stood watching each other. As if acting on an invisible signal, they suddenly split in half and one of them gestured to Frank. Frank warily began walking forward, holding Hazel's hand. He knew he couldn't afford to get into a fight with them. Even though he may be able to take them all if he managed to transform, there was a chance Hazel could get killed in the close-quarters fighting. And he couldn't afford that.

"Frank," Hazel whispered from behind him. "I'm so sorry. I should have seen them." She was crying silently. "It's ok," Frank growled back, though he was honestly disappointed in her.

As Frank cleared the line of guards, they again closed ranks and started hoarding him and Hazel forward. As Frank rounded a corner, he thought of making a run for it. But he changed his mind when he saw what was ahead.

About a dozen more guards stood there, their guns at the ready. But that wasn't what had made Frank stop. Gaius stood calmly amongst a group of thick poles, smiling his creepy smile. _Seriously, why did he have to be so cliché?_ "Hazel!" he announced cheerily, completely ignoring Frank. "How good of you to join us." "Where are Piper and the others?" Hazel growled back at him.

Gaius laughed and gestured towards three of the poles. "Not really the 'pride of Olympus', are they?" Frank walked forward, bile creeping up his throat. What he saw chilled him to the bone. Each pole was a tree trunk. And to each pole was tied one of the demigods.

Piper. Nico. Annabeth.

But where was Jason? "Where's Jason?" Hazel asked worriedly, realising it at the same time. Gaius chuckled again. "Oh, he chose the sea-view." Frank rushed forward to grab Gaius' throat but Gaius easily sidestepped him. Frank slipped and went sprawling till he hit the railing of the ship's prow. As he hit it, he heard a slight groan. He looked back and saw Jason tied to another, much thinner pole reaching out over the sea. "JASON!" Frank shouted, but Jason seemed pretty much unconscious. There was blood running down his cheek, and his blond hair was tousled and dirty.

Frank felt Gaius haul him to his feet. He shoved him back towards Hazel. "Great place to start the war, don't you think?" Gaius said. "Under the shadow of their greatest hero," Gaius said, gesturing to the huge statue of Christ which loomed over Rio de Janeiro. "Uprooted by their worst enemy. The mortals' vengeance will bring Olympus crashing down. And I, I will give them their greatest weapon."

"An annoying voice?" Hazel snarled from beside Frank. "No, Hazel. Sight. I will give them sight. Open their eyes. I shall bend the mist and allow the mortals to see the world as it is. An ugly, desolate, forsaken world. And, together, we will make it better. Join me, Hazel," Gaius suddenly said, reaching out to her.

Despite himself, Frank stole a look at her expression. Despite the defiance on her face, Frank saw her eyes soften, and her shoulders relax. _His words couldn't be having an effect on Hazel, could they?_ "Why don't you just shut up, creep?" Frank growled at him. "So naïve, Frank. Clinging to your old ideals. Wake up and smell the coffee, Zhang. There's been too many wars. They're weakened. You're on the wrong side," Gaius said to him.

There was something about his words. _So tru..._ Frank shook his head, snapping himself out of his reverie. "SHUT. UP." Frank growled at him. Gaius shrugged his shoulders. "Very well." Rough hands grabbed Frank and tied his hands behind his back. He struggled, but the man was too strong. He felt a needle prick his neck, and realised he'd been sedated, to prevent him using his powers. Groggy and shaky, Frank felt himself be tied to one of the trees. Beside him, he saw the same treatment with Hazel. He felt angry but too weak to do anything.

Gaius walked up to him and patronisingly patted his cheek. "Now, if you excuse me," he turned around and squared his shoulders majestically. "I have a civilisation to destroy."


	39. Chapter 39 (Jason)

**XXXIX**

 **JASON**

Getting knocked out with a gun wasn't one of Jason's favourite past-times. Getting it done while his girlfriend and friends were at the mercy of a madman was even less fun.

Jason was regaining consciousness slowly. He opened his eyes. Or, more specifically, eye. His left eyelid was swollen shut, and his glasses were missing. Jason could feel a warm stickiness on his cheek and realised it was blood. He tried to raise an arm to wipe it off, but they were tied behind his back. His wrists rubbed against a rough rope that made him wince. His neck was smarting, as if someone had jabbed him with a syringe.

He winced as he remembered what Thalia had said to him. _Tied to a tree. Cuts and bruises all over you._

Jason began taking in his surroundings. What he thought had been blue wallpaper, came into more focus and ended up being – the sea. Jason shut his good eye, suddenly feeling very queasy. He tried to summon winds to frisk him away from the tree but, to his frustration, found that he was unable to.

Jason strained his neck and managed to make out a shoreline. He moved his eye further and saw a huge statue with open arms looking down at him. _Christ_ , Jason thought.

"Wonderful, isn't it?" spoke a cold voice from behind Jason. He couldn't turn around and see, but he knew it was Gaius. "My plan," Gaius went on. "Wonderful, isn't it?"

Jason realised why it had been so important for them to come here. Why it had to be _here_. Under the shadow of Jesus Christ. "You're gonna destroy the statue, and blame it on us," he growled back at Gaius. "Well done, Jason. I don't give you enough credit," Gaius laughed back. "I'm afraid there's no point, as there won't be much left of you after I turn you over to the mortals."

 _Sacrifice_. The battle at Camp Half-Blood with the Percies swam back into Jason's mind. _Sacrifice_. "You're sick!" Jason snarled back at him. Gaius laughed, but something seemed to stop him from replying. A drone-like sound cut into the stillness of the air. Jason looked up and saw a motorboat approaching, flying the Brazilian flag. "Excuse me, Jason, would you?" Gaius said from behind him. "I must go speak to the mortals about your heinous crimes."

Jason struggled to rid himself from the bonds but he was too weak. He felt his backpack on his shoulders. _Gaius hadn't taken it off_. _If only, he could get to it, there'd be a dagger inside. He could cut the ropes and free himself_.

Jason began leaning forward, though he felt queasier as he came closer to the sea. It was still a long way off, but it wasn't his favourite place to be. He felt the backpack's straps slide off his shoulder and begin sliding up his neck. The motorboat was close by now. "MR. GAIUS!" A man shouted from the boat. "YOU HAVE CALLED US FOR A REASON?"

"YES!" Jason heard Gaius shout back. "YOU MUST EVACUATE EVERYONE FROM THE AREA OF THE STATUE!" he shouted with feigned panic. "THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE! IT WOULD TAKE HOURS!" the man shouted back. 'YOU DON'T HAV MUCH TI-" Gaius began shouting back but a huge explosion ripped through the air.

Shockwaves spread out and reached Jason, blowing in his face. He looked up and saw smoke rising from the base of the statue. As he watched in horror, the statue slowly keeled over and tipped into the ocean, creating a huge wave as it displaced the water. Jason heard screams from the shoreline, carrying over the water.

He struggled against his bonds in fury. "GAIUS!" Jason shouted. "MY GOD!" the man in the motorboat shouted. "GAIUS! DID YOU DO THIS?" "NO! BUT I HAVE THE ONE WHO DID! HE'S RIGHT THERE!" Gaius said and must have pointed to Jason as the man in the motorboat looked at him lividly.

The motorboat roared forward and pulled up alongside the ship. Jason heard a ladder descend and a man start climbing up. He started shaking more violently in an attempt to get to his backpack. It was over his head now, angling downwards. _All he had to do was catch the strap in his teeth..._

Of course, Jason's strategy didn't account for a certain son of Hecate. He slapped the pole, causing it to shake violently and Jason's bag fall off and into the sea below. "NO!" Jason snarled. He turned his head back as far as he could, and saw Gaius holding an axe. The man from the motorboat was next to him, and was staring daggers at Jason.

The man grabbed the axe from Gaius and brought a huge blow raining down on the pole. Jason grimaced as the reverberations reached him and the pole sloped downwards. It wasn't gonna take much more of that. "Hey! I demand a fair trial!" Jason shouted out to the mortal. The mortal sneered and brought the axe down again. "You're a murderer!" he shouted back. Jason saw the pole start coming apart and knew he'd fall in the sea with the next blow and that would be the end. He closed his eyes and waited for the axe to come down again...

"What the hell is that?" he heard a voice behind him. He opened his eyes and saw a small fountain emerging from the sea in front of him. His eyes narrowed in confusion, but then he remembered the Kymopoleia statue he had packed. It had activated when it had fallen in the sea.

Jason felt the boat start rocking and winds blew in his face. Was the action figure really that strong? "PORTSIDE!" came a panicked scream from behind him. Jason turned his head to the left and saw a huge wave crashing down on the ship. He closed his eyes and held his breath as the water engulfed him, praying that the pole didn't snap. When the water cleared, he saw Kymopoleia standing on the water, a huge whirlwind flowing around her.

"GAIUS, WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?" the mortal shouted again. Gaius didn't reply. The boat was rocking violently now, shaking Jason here and there. Kymopoleia didn't seem to notice the danger she was putting Jason in. She spun her disk and more waves rushed towards the ship.

Jason closed his eyes and held his breath. When the water cleared, he felt himself falling. The pole had broken loose with Jason still attached!

"PIPER!" Jason shouted in fear before his head broke the water. His mouth was still open in a wordless scream and a stream of oxygen bubbles was flowing upwards from his mouth. He tried to kick with his legs, but they were too tightly bound. He struggled back and forth with the pole; rubbing his wrists raw with the effort. He felt his chest constricting as his air supply dwindled. It was dark down here, too dark. The light from the top of the sea was dwindling as Jason descended. He felt panic set in and began struggling even more. His movements became weaker, his eyes started to close...

Jason felt something grab him. He saw the shadow of a shark a ways-off. Was this one of them? Or something worse? He felt a hand grab his wrists and begin cutting at the ropes. Jason hoped it wasn't so that it could take him back home and eat him. He felt the ropes around his wrists fall apart, and then the ones around his legs ripped open too. Jason whirled around to see the face of his saviour/kidnapper.

Percy Jackson winked back at him.


	40. Chapter 40 (Percy)

**XXXX**

 **PERCY**

Jason freaked the f**k out. He kicked and struggled to rid himself from Percy's grip, his face paler than if he'd seen a ghost. Since Jason was no son of Poseidon, he ran out of breath soon and fainted. Percy sighed and made an air bubble around the two of them and willed their clothes dry. Jason began breathing again. His blue-tinted cheeks regained a healthy hue and his eyes fluttered open.

Jason freaked the f**k out again. He lashed out, a fist connecting with Percy's jaw. Percy reeled backwards. "Duude," he complained. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" Jason shouted hysterically. "Am I dead?" he continued. Percy shook his head. "Are you dead?" Jason asked. Percy shook his head again. Jason's breathing seemed to ease. "Then I must be dreaming. I saw your body," he said calmly, though Percy could tell he was still hysterical.

"Yeah, about that," Percy scratched his head embarrassedly. "Don't you dare tell me you were alive all this time," Jason growled. "Ok, I won't tell you," Percy quipped. And immediately regretted it. Jason rushed out at him, his hands outstretched. He grabbed Percy by the neck. "WHY, JACKSON? WHY?" he shouted angrily. Percy, meanwhile, was having a hard time breathing. He let the air bubble dissolve, and the sea engulfed them. Which was okay with Percy. He stood there, looking calmly at Jason as the blond struggled with maintaining his anger and breath at the same time. As soon as Percy felt Jason's actions weaken, he reinstated the air bubble and Jason began breathing again.

"I did die, initially," Percy began while Jason glared at him. "While my body was dead, my spirit arose. I saw you, there, when you came to get my body." Jason's eyes fell and Percy felt bad for him. "I waited there, with no idea of what to do. Then I saw these – things, flying towards me. They were ugly as hell. I felt a hand on my shoulder and saw Thanatos." Jason looked up at him in sadness. Percy's eyes had begun to water.

"He pulled me away and we fled the things. He called them, the _Keres_ , or something. He took me to my father's palace, saying it was not yet my time to die. My body was still in Texas, but you brought it back to Camp. My dad took it from there, fixed my broken body, and put me back inside. It took a lot more rituals and stuff, but I don't wanna bore you with that," he finished, looking up at Jason.

Jason stood up and walked towards Percy. Percy thought he was in for another strangling session and prepared to dissolve the bubble. Jason suddenly wrapped his arms around Percy and pulled him into an embrace. Percy returned it, pulling his bro closer. "Not to interrupt this extremely _nohomo_ moment, but shouldn't we get up there?" Percy joked. Jason suddenly pulled away, flustered. "Ye-yeah, sure," he said and Percy smirked. _gods, he had missed making Jason uncomfortable._

Percy focused on the surface of the water and propelled them upwards. The bubble broke the surface and a platform of water formed under their feet and carried them up. "You got your sword?" Percy asked as he unsheathed Riptide. "Nope, Gaius has it," Jason admitted. Percy nodded and began devising a strategy. His sister, Kym, had stopped the storm, leaving two extremely battered ships behind. Percy looked over Gaius' ship and saw five tree-like poles to which five people were tied. He focused on them and recognised the faces of Nico and the remaining Seven, except Leo. _Annabeth_. She was unconscious, and her head lolled downwards, her beautiful blonde hair covering her beautiful grey eyes.

Percy shook himself out of his stupor. He'd have enough time to look into those eyes later. "Jason, you go untie them and wake them up. I'll cover you," he said and Jason nodded back. "All right, go!" Percy nodded and pushed the water forward and landed on the deck. He immediately transformed into whirlwind mode, like not literally, but he pulled his sword out and began twirling around; slicing Gaius' goons. He saw Jason begin untying Piper out of the corner of his eye.

A man began creeping up behind Jason and Percy let out a roar. A fist made of water came on the ship and crushed the man underneath. Percy went to work again with his sword. It felt good to fight again, and with actual enemies, not with the water dummies his father would summon. Those had been okay for getting his body back on track whilst he was recuperating, but now it was a whole new ball game.

Percy saw the face he'd learnt to hate during his time in Poseidon's palace. It was a face his father had shown him whilst he was down there. _Gaius_. Percy roared and ran forward, his sword-arm outstretched. Gaius saw him coming and pulled out a dagger. He leered at Percy as he neared him. Percy feinted a swing, then ducked as Gaius sliced his dagger where Percy's head had been. He nicked Gaius' arm with Riptide, and the shithead howled in pain. Percy raised his sword to lop off Gaius' head but he ducked and kicked Percy's legs. Percy landed on his back hard and Gaius leapt on him. He just about brought up Riptide in time to counter Gaius' downward swing that would have decapitated him. They strove against one another, the dagger pushing down on the sword. Percy kicked Gaius' butt with his knee, sending him sprawling. Percy stood up and faced Gaius, his sword arm ready.

"You, bastard," Gaius spat out, holding his injured arm. The blood was steaming, and Percy recalled when Jason had been stabbed with an Imperial Gold blade. "Guess you can't use your powers, now can you?" Percy snarled back at him. Gaius' face broke into a cruel smile. "No, but he can."

Percy whirled around to see a tongue of flame roaring down on him. He brought up Riptide and the flame parted across the blade. The heat was searing and Percy closed his eyes. After what seemed like an eternity, the fire cleared and Percy looked up and saw Leo glaring at him.

"Look who decided to join the party," Percy muttered and rushed at Leo, his sword raised. Leo shot a flame at Percy but he dodged it, shooting out his arm and calling to the water. A huge spout of water shot up from the sea and engulfed Leo, holding him still. Percy ran straight into it and tackled Leo. He turned Leo over and raised his sword to cut off the chip but Leo suddenly burst into flames. Percy screamed in pain and fell backwards, willing the water to come heal him. When the water cleared, Leo was standing up and glaring at Percy with eyes full of hate.

Percy roared and a huge fist of water swatted Leo off the side of the ship. Leo fell for a few metres before he began flying with his flames, a comet-tail extending behind him. _Two can play at that game,_ Percy thought and ran to the edge of the ship. Leo fired a bolt of fire at him just as he cleared the edge. An explosion erupted behind him as he jumped into the water 'Hollywood-movie style'.

He kept himself submerged before surfacing for a few seconds. He gathered water from the deepest part of the sea and willed it into a platform underneath him. He stood on hundreds of metres of water, ready to propel him into the sky. With a mighty roar, he released the pressure and the water surged upwards. He broke the surface of the water sword-first. Leo looked down at him in surprise before he put up a flame shield to protect himself. Percy willed another huge column of water and blasted Leo's fiery shield. The two pushed their elements towards one another, two huge columns of water and flame at work against one another. Percy felt a slight sweat break out on his brow, from the effort of propelling forward that much water.

Despite Leo's strength, Percy felt the water gain the upper hand. He pushed harder and harder, forcing Leo's flames back. Leo let out a roar as he surged into his last vestiges of strength and reinforced his flame. But Percy was too strong. The water doused the flames and engulfed Leo; arcing back into the sea.

Percy stayed in the air suspended on his water column. He looked back at the ship. All his friends were on their feet now, bearing down on Gaius. He could see them cautiously approaching, their weapons aimed at him. Suddenly, all of them stopped, except for Hazel. She crept to the front of the group. Percy's eyes narrowed in suspicion. She had lowered her sword. Percy saw her shoulders sag and realised she was giving up. He was about to shoot a column of water at Gaius but what happened next shocked him.

Hazel turned around and stabbed Frank through the stomach.


	41. Chapter 41 (Hazel)

**XXXXI**

 **HAZEL**

Hazel woke up to someone slapping her cheeks. She looked up and saw Jason's face. One of his eyes was closed shut, and blood ran down his cheek. But he was grinning hysterically.

Hazel looked to Jason's right and saw Frank and the others standing. They too, were grinning, though Annabeth seemed to have a murderous look in her eyes. _Uh-oh. Who was in trouble this time?_

"Why are you all grinning like lunatics?" Hazel groaned, sitting up. "Percy's back!" Jason said to her, helping her up. Hazel felt like punching him in the face. She realised this may just be a cruel trick of the Mist by Gaius to get her hopes up.

She reached out to Jason and spread her hands across his face, trying to dissolve the Mist. Jason's eyes narrowed. "That...was awkward," he muttered. Hazel's eyes widened. He wasn't a trick of the Mist! "So, you mean; Jackson's alive?" Hazel blurted out. Jason nodded eagerly.

"I'm gonna kill him," Hazel growled as she looked for her _spatha_. "Get in line, babe," Annabeth said from behind Jason. Though she could tell Annabeth was angry at Percy, she also could see the tears streaking her face. "Where is he?" she asked frantically. Jason pointed towards one of the corners and the six of them walked over to it. Rounding it, they saw Percy and Gaius engaged in a furious battle. Gaius was straddling Percy and had his dagger raised to decapitate him. Percy blocked the strike, and kicked Gaius off. Hazel ached to rush to his aid, but she knew this was his fight. Her heart leapt at seeing him in action again.

Suddenly, she saw a tongue of flame shoot out at Percy. He blocked it, and she looked up to see Leo bearing down on him. Percy roared and charged at him. "C'mon, Hazel. We gotta go get our weapons," Frank said form behind her, tugging at her shoulder. Hazel nodded and followed him and the others, as they made their way to the storage hold. Once or twice, a guard would block their way; but they always managed to subdue them; usually involving a punch to the neck, or a kick to the place where the sun don't shine.

They reached the storage hold, and Frank barrelled into it. The door swung open and the six of them ran in and retrieved their weapons. Hazel felt good to have her _spatha_ back in hand. They raced out and back to the place where they had last seen Percy battling Gaius. There was no sign of Percy, or Leo, but Gaius was still there. He clutched at his arm, from under which steam was emanating. He was sitting against the edge of the railing, but when he saw them; he immediately stood up and drew his dagger. Though he leered at them, Hazel could tell he was afraid. And he'd only be afraid of them if he'd been unable to use his powers.

"Gaius," Annabeth growled at him. "Sister," he shot back. Annabeth snarled. "Why are you all so naïve?" Gaius suddenly asked. "What has Olympus ever done for you? Why fight for them? Why, when you can join me, and be the new kings and queens of the world?" He spread his hands, as if to signify his earnestness.

Hazel had realised that for some time, the only way to beat Gaius, was for him to think he'd beaten them. Hazel let her shoulders sag, and her weapon fall. She walked to the front of the group, ignoring their confused glances. They lined up behind her, just as she'd wanted. She looked Gaius in the eye. She needed as much focus as she could muster, and that would only come with anger. Confusing, I know.

"Do you trust me?" Hazel asked her friends timidly. None of them responded immediately. "Yes, I do," she heard Frank say behind her. She shut her eyes; this was going to be difficult.

She whirled around and stabbed Frank in the stomach. His eyes widened in shock as he looked at her. Blood spurted around the blade of her spatha. Frank roared in pain.

Before the others could react, Hazel withdrew her sword from Frank's stomach. She stabbed Jason and Nico in the chest, Annabeth and Piper in the stomach. The five of them sank to the ground, not dead, but clutching their weapons. They looked at her with rage and betrayal, and Hazel tried her best to keep a stern face as she tried not to cry.

"Gaius, I am willing to join you," Hazel announced. She felt a hand grab her ankle and looked down to see Frank holding her foot. She wriggled out of his grasp and walked towards Gaius. He smiled cruelly at her advance. "Well done, Hazel. Why stab your friends, though?" Hazel looked over at her friends, who were now trying to help each other. "They would never join us. I thought it best to remove this obstacle," she said.

Gaius opened his arms. "Well, Hazel. It seems I have gained a ruthless lieutenant indeed. Come." Hazel walked towards him. She was waiting for the moment to release her hold. Gaius hadn't noticed her manipulation of the Mist, and she could now win this.

All of a sudden, Gaius found himself with a sword pressed at his throat, and his dagger lying metres away. He looked up and saw all of the demigods perfectly fine, looking at each other in confusion. Behind him, he heard Hazel snarl; "You are blinder than a bat."

Gaius shut his eyes in despair. He had been fooled. Gaius, with his Mist and divination powers, had failed. The accursed cut Percy had dealt him had stopped his powers, he couldn't see how Hazel had fooled him.

"Come help me," Hazel said to her friends, who immediately ran to her aid. Jason and Frank grabbed Gaius and hauled him off, whilst Nico, Piper and Annabeth lowered Hazel to the ground. She was exhausted, bending the Mist to her will had been harder than she'd thought.

Hazel heard a commotion. She looked up and saw Jason lying on the floor, holding his face in pain, while Gaius neck-chopped Frank. He began to run away, but Annabeth ran for his dagger. "ANNABETH, NO!" Nico shouted but it was too late. Gaius' Mist dagger had already left Annabeth's hand, twirling as it flew towards him. It hit him in the back with a sickening _squelch_. He screamed and toppled over. Piper ran to Jason, while Nico, Hazel and Annabeth ran to Gaius. His back was steaming. His body seemed to be shrinking, towards the small of his back, where the dagger had hit him.

Gaius was howling in pain. He tried to claw at the dagger, but his hands passed straight through it. He was turning into shadow. Becoming part of the Mist. His eyes widened in fear as he looked at them, realising his end had come. It wasn't pretty.

Gaius' face melted into shadow, the rest of his body following suit. The dagger fell to the ground, no longer sheathed in his back. Nico gingerly picked it up and wrapped it in a cloth and stuffed it in his aviator jacket.

"Well, that was disturbing," he muttered. Hazel turned back and ran to Frank, who was thankfully breathing. He clutched his neck in pain, and looked up to see Hazel. She leapt into his arms, knocking the breath out of him. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," she repeated over and over again; genuinely apologising for making him think that she'd stabbed him. Frank hugged her back, and she felt as if she could just lay there in his embrace for eternity.

"Hazel," Nico muttered behind her. She turned around to look at him questioningly. "How were you able to use your powers, when none of us could?" he asked, somewhat jealously. "Cause I _learnt_ how to manipulate the Mist. Gaius' serum only affects our inherited powers. At least, that's what I think," she replied, remembering how she'd been unable to summon a cursed jewel to stuff down Gaius' throat.

They were shocked out of their reverie when a flaming Leo hit the deck.

 **Hey readers! This is the second-last chapter of this book. However, the sequel will be coming out _extremely_ soon, so stay tuned all of you! Hope you enjoy and keep reading!**

 **-Broder**


	42. Chapter 42 (Annabeth)

**XXXXII**

 **ANNABETH**

Annabeth felt a grim sort of satisfaction when the dagger hit Gaius. She was never one to condone murder, but she felt it was okay to make an exception here. In a way, she removed a blemish on the Chase family's name. Seeing Gaius dissolve into mere shadow was definitely disturbing, but she didn't feel she'd lose any sleep over it later on.

Annabeth looked up in shock when she heard a huge crash to her right. She stood up cautiously and saw a flaming Leo lying in a small crater on the deck. As she watched, his flame receded; leaving just plain Leo lying in the crater. She approached the crater cautiously, but a voice behind her made her jump; "GET BACK!" She looked back and saw Percy walking over to her.

Tears crept into her eyes, as she saw Percy walk towards her. His burn scars had vanished, leaving the same boy behind that she'd loved for so long. She walked towards him as he approached. Without any warning, she grabbed his arm and judo-flipped him over her head. He hit the deck groaning. She jumped on top of him and put her hands around his neck.

"Annabeth, what are you doing?" she heard a panicked voice behind her; Piper. "What does it look like I'm doing?" she replied. "I'm strangling him." Percy's mouth was opening and closing like a goldfish. Annabeth leaned close to him. "Seaweed Brain," she growled. "You ever leave me again..." she let the threat trail off. Percy leaned up and pecked her lips.

Annabeth let go of his neck with a start. He began laughing while he massaged his throat. "Missed you too, Wise Girl," he quipped. Annabeth threw her arms around him and pulled him close. He smelled of the sea, a scent she'd come to love. She buried her face in his raven-black hair.

"Uh, guys?" Frank's uneasy voice came from behind them. "You might wanna get up." Annabeth felt like giving him a glare but stopped short when she saw Leo get up from the crater. He was in flames again. Percy literally threw her off as he rushed to make a water shield. Leo shot his flame at them, but it deflected harmlessly off the shield.

Annabeth felt the ship move under her. She reeled backwards but was caught by Nico. "This ship's not gonna stay afloat much longer," he muttered. Annabeth nodded. She could feel the ship sinking. "We need to get on the other one," he said. "We can't just leave Percy," she said. "He can handle himself, we gotta move!" Nico ordered and Annabeth nodded despite herself. Nico and the others began running for the edge of the boat. Annabeth gave one last look at her boyfriend. He smiled encouragingly and mouthed the word, _go_. Annabeth nodded and ran for the railing. She jumped overboard and began swimming towards the other ship. Since Gaius' serum had negated their godly powers, they couldn't rely on Jason's winds or Frank's shape-shifting.

Annabeth climbed up on the ship, Frank extending a hand to pull her onboard. Frank, Hazel and she were the only ones on deck. "The others are gone below to check for any stragglers," Frank explained. Annabeth nodded and walked over to the quarterdeck, hazel and Frank trailing behind her. She groaned as she saw the complicated controls and dials in front of her. "Anyone remember how these worked?" Frank asked. They seemed identical to the ones on the _Argo II_. "I may have some idea," Annabeth said as she remembered the lessons Leo had given her whilst aboard the ship.

Annabeth pushed a lever forward slightly and heard the ship's engine groan. It lurched forward, moving towards the shore slowly. The other ship had sunk by now, and Percy and Leo were fighting on the shore where the statue of Christ had stood recently. The ship reminded her too much of the _Argo II_ , but she pushed the nostalgia out of her mind. _There'd be time to think about that later..._

She heard sounds from the hold below and jumped down from the quarterdeck. She readied her sword as the hatch opened. Jason crawled out, followed by Piper and Nico. "Thought I felt some movement," Jason grinned. "Yeah, I figured I'd get us moving," Annabeth replied and helped Piper to her feet. "Where's Perce?" Jason asked, looking around. Annabeth pointed to the shore where the fight was still raging. Percy had his sword out and was deflecting Leo's fireballs off it. They both looked tired, but neither seemed to have the advantage.

"Frank," Annabeth said. Frank looked back at her. "Do it," she ordered. Frank's eyes narrowed in confusion but then he realised what she was talking about. He morphed his backpack into a quiver and drew his bow. He nocked an arrow and aimed at the two fighters on the shore. He held the pose for an uncomfortably long moment and then let the arrow fly. Annabeth's grey eyes followed the arrow as it sailed through the air. It could hit Percy, she realised, but Frank was a good shot. True to his skill, the arrow embedded itself in Leo's arm.

Annabeth fancied she heard Leo's howl all the way from there. The ship lurched forward as it hit the beach, throwing all of them off their feet. Annabeth rushed to the control system and turned off the engine. She and the others jumped out and ran to the battle.

Leo was lying on the ground, Percy's sword at his neck. He wasn't unconscious, but a lot of blood pooled around his shoulder where Frank had shot him. Annabeth saw Nico bend down and inspect Leo's injured shoulder. "Where's Will when you need him," she heard him mutter.

"What is that?" she heard Piper ask beside her. She looked at her and saw her pointing at the empty platform where the statue had stood. Or at least, Annabeth expected a platform. In reality, a hole was steaming in the ground. Annabeth gingerly leaned over it and saw that it was huge chasm, reaching down till what seemed to be the centre of the Earth. She felt a familiar sense of dread, and foreboding; one she'd only felt once before.

"Tartarus," Percy growled. "An entrance to Tartarus right under Christ's statue." Annabeth reeled back, almost panicking. She shut her eyes in pain as she tried to hold the memories at bay. _Drinking fire. Fighting_ empousas _. Percy's poisoned body flopping over the shoulder of a Titan as he mumbled her name. A kind giant, who sacrificed himself for them._

Annabeth felt a hand touch her shoulder and whirled around. Piper was looking at her in concern. "I-I'm fine," she stuttered, though she wasn't sure of it herself. "Somebody, pass me some ambrosia," Nico suddenly said. "This isn't looking good." Piper fumbled in her bag for a square of ambrosia and handed it to Nico. He held it over Leo's mouth. "Open up," he growled. Leo kept his mouth stubbornly shut. "Perce," Nico grunted. Percy nodded and kicked Leo in the stomach. Leo opened his mouth to groan and Nico stuffed the ambrosia straight in his mouth. "Now, we just need to knock him out and take him back to Camp until we can find a way to fix him," Nico announced, his fingers still absently hovering near Leo's mouth.

Leo took the chance. He lashed out with his face and bit Nico's hand. Nico howled in pain as Leo opened his mouth and spat his own blood in Nico's face. He punched aside Percy's sword and got up. Annabeth was closest to him. She screamed as he grabbed her and pulled her over to the edge of the pit. She writhed in his grasp but went still when he leaned her over the edge. "PERCY!" she screamed.

She felt Leo's hands leave her and thought he'd let her fall into the pit. But then, she felt herself still standing on solid ground as a hand pulled her back. She looked and saw Jason pulling her back. She looked to the edge of the pit and saw Percy's hands hanging on to the ledge. "PERCY!" she screamed again. She heard a faint shout as Leo spiralled into the pit.

Percy pulled himself up over the edge. "Jeez, Wise Girl. You've got some lungs," he grunted with the effort of pulling himself up. Annabeth barrelled into him, hugging him with all her heart. He hugged her back, but she suddenly felt him yanked away.

Percy was lying at the edge of the pit again, screaming in agony. A red lasso was tied around his foot, flames arcing away from it. Annabeth ran forward to grab him but she felt Jason grab her arm again. She fought against him but he was too strong and pulled her back.

Percy was struggling to climb back up, his face contorted in pain. Frank ran over to him and began hauling him up, but the whip pulled Percy back. "PERCY!" Annabeth screamed for the third time in a minute. "I swear," he groaned. "On the Styx – that I'll come back to you."

Thunder rumbled overhead and Annabeth knew, in that moment, that she was going to lose Percy again. She saw a cheeky grin appear on his face as he grunted; "Fly, you fools," and let go.

 **Hey guys! Don't hate me for that, cause the next book is gonna be out soon! For those who got the LOTR reference at the end; have an imaginary cookie! Stay tuned, and please review and let me know honestly what you thought.**

 **-Broder**


	43. Author's note

**DEAR READERS,**

 **I HOPE YOU ALL THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK! IF SO, THE SECOND BOOK IS NOW OUT, IN MY PROFILE, OR AT THIS LINK**

 **s/12492057/1/Heroes-of-Olympus-the-Mist-II**

 **PLEASE STAY TUNED, AND REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU LIKED/DISLIKED!**

 **HAPPY READING**

 **-BRODER**


	44. Book 3 out!

**Hey readers! The third book in the series; The World Against Them is now out! Visit my profile and please read it!**


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